No Heat/No Cool season pays off

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michael Battles
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Throughout the end of spring and beginning of summer Osan Air Base will participate in the seasonal no heat/no cool shutdown.

The shutdown, which began April 19, allows systems that have been heating the base throughout the winter to be evaluated and repaired before the cooling season begins.

"The no heat/no cool time period is not only about saving energy and money," said Kristi Yu, 51st Civil Engineer Squadron Asset Management Office resource efficiency manager. "This time also gives maintenance enough time to go around base and transition the systems from heating to cooling."

There are more than 600 buildings on Osan Air Base that need to be switched from heat to cool during the shutdown.

Once temperatures have reach more than 40 degree for a consecutive five days the heat is turn off for the year.

After May 15 and once temperatures have sustained at least 80 degrees for at least five days, air condition will be restored basewide.

"If trends keep with previous years, the air conditioning should turned on in early June," said 1st Lt. Aaron Baney, 51st CES Asset Management Office base energy manager

Last year A/C turned on June 11, and in 2010 it was June 6, he said.

During the no heat/cool time period, HVAC systems are still circulating on a fan system that provides a breeze and fresh air to every building on base, Yu said.

On average, Osan spends approximately $30,000 dollars a day to heat the base and nearly $12,000 a day to cool the base during the summer.

Throughout the summer, the Asset Management Office suggests that dorm residents keep the temperature no lower than 76 degrees, work centers no lower then 78 degrees and during the winter no higher than 68 degrees.

In the coming weeks Osan will host an environmental team that will decide if Osan is capable of using other energy conservation technology such as geothermal, wind, solar and hydroelectric, she said.

Yu urges anyone that has any creative ideas to conserve energy on Osan to contact the Asset Management Office at 784-4894 for the base energy manager or 784-2045 for the resource efficiency manager.

"Every little bit helps," Baney said. "If everyone turned off their computer monitors every day the base would save $1,000 dollars a day with that alone."