Efficient thermostat settings saves energy, base money Published June 2, 2006 By Capt. Nicole Feldpausch 60th Civil Engineer Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Travis’ policy for energy conservation mandates that thermostats be set to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer. Seventy-eight degrees in the summer months may seem warm for Travis members that are used to much cooler indoor temperatures. Likewise, 68 degrees in the winter may seem cool during the winter. However, the cost savings possible by maintaining these standards are significant and benefit all Travis members in the long run. For example, if all Travis facility managers decided to keep their work area just two degrees cooler during the summer and just two degrees warmer during the winter, the energy required to cool and heat all the facilities would increase by 8 percent. That 8 percent increase in energy would cost Travis approximately $264,000 in electricity bills. Those numbers are shocking but extremely feasible when 50 percent of Travis’ electricity bill is attributed to heating and cooling. Last fiscal year, the electricity bill was a staggering $6.6 million. With the upcoming summer season, it is not too late to lower the base’s electricity bill and save money. The Civil Engineering Energy Management Control System will continue to do its part and ensure that all facilities are cooled and heated to 78 and 68 degrees. Currently, EMCS controls 29 percent of facilities on base, so it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure thermostats are set at 78 degrees during the air conditioning season and 68 degrees during the heating season. The bottom line is that money saved in utility bills is money invested into improving Travis. The 60th Civil Engineer Squadron will continue to provide support to facilities by checking heating and cooling system operability and set points during routine inspection visits and service calls. For more information, call maintenance engineering at 424-3336.