OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The 51st Civil Engineer Squadron’s 6th Annual Energy Cup Competition recently ended on 30 June 2020 after 9 months of competition.
Each year, facility managers at 32 facilities help their occupants employ energy saving practices at their facilities.
In the bracketed tournament portion of the Fiscal Year 2021 Energy Cup competition, Building 635 won the 51 Mission Support Group Division’s head-to-head tournament, Building 1810, managed by 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, won the 51st Maintenance Group Division’s bracket with a cumulative 17% energy reduction and Building 1470, the Gingko Tree Dining Hall, won the 51 Force Support Squadron Division with a 26% energy reduction.
Energy reduction scores are tallied by comparing the energy consumption at each facility in this fiscal year with their facility’s energy consumption during the same period in the previous fiscal year. The 32 facilities is this year’s competition reduced energy consumption by $596,400. Electricity savings alone was $352,000.
“This competition is fair for all-sized facilities, because each facility’s current energy consumption is compared to the same facility’s consumption during the same time period in the previous fiscal year,” said David Moysey, 51st CES Resource Efficiency Manager. “The competition is a great way to increase awareness in conserving energy and water on the base.”
Building 635, the 51st LRS Traffic Management Office facility, reduced total energy consumption by 44% compared to energy usage during the same nine months of the previous fiscal year. Electricity use was reduced by reduced by 28% kilowatt-hours per square foot and heating energy use per square foot was reduced by 54% for a total energy savings of $32,700. Most of the reduction of electricity consumption was due to the facility manager and shop leads ensuring unnecessary wall and ceiling infrared lamps were turned off in the warehouse.
Building 635’s facility manager Staff Sgt. Hal Chambliss, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron outbound cargo supervisor, said that minimal manning due to COVID-19 last year, should have caused the electricity consumption to be less in fiscal year 2020, but electricity consumption was significantly lower during normal manning in fiscal year 2021. Chambliss said that at the close of each business day, their checklist includes turning off all unneeded lighting in the warehouse and offices.
Building 1333, the 51st LRS Vehicle Operations facility, reduced their electricity per square foot by 33% and heating fuel consumption by 31%, for a total energy reduction of 30%.
Building 1333’s facility manager Senior Airman Carlos McKinnon, 51st LRS ground transportation vehicle operator said the occupants of the facility ensured all lights were turned off when not needed.
McKinnon also served as his facility’s tank custodian and kept track of the facility’s fuel tank’s gauge readings and the heating fuel contractor’s tank gauge readings during fuel deliveries, which played a role in reducing heating fuel overbillings to 4%, much lower than the base’s average shortage of 8.5%.
Building 870, the Airfield Operations and Control Tower, is managed by the 51st Operations Support Squadron and reduced their electricity use by 37% and heating energy by 31%, for a total decrease of 29%. The total energy cost savings was $28,000. LED lighting upgrades and a conversion to natural gas significantly helped to decrease energy costs, but the occupants also did their part to ensure lights were turned off in unoccupied areas.
Now that this year’s competition is over, 51st Civil Engineer Squadron is making plans to host the next competition, which is slated to begin Oct 1 and mark the beginning of Osan’s Energy Action Month. The participating facilities that did not reduce their energy use during fiscal year 2021, will automatically be entered in next year’s 32-facility competition.
If you think your building can reduce energy consumption in 2022’s fiscal year, contact the Osan Air Base Energy Manager 1st Lt. Tyler Hislop at 784-9230 to get signed up for the upcoming Energy Cup.