October is National Energy Action Month

  • Published
  • By Merrie Schilter-Lowe
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The October calendar is dotted with more than 100 national awareness campaigns.

Some are just for fun, such as Self-Promotion Month, Pizza Month, Popcorn Poppin’ Month, Hunting and Fishing Month and National Family Bowling Day and Silly Sayings Day, both on Oct. 13.    

Other campaigns are more serious, including Breast Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness, Cyber Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Month.

Of all the observances in October, the one that affects everyone at Travis Air Force Base, California, is National Energy Action Month. 

Last year, Travis spent $6.5 million dollars for electrical energy and $557,000 for natural gas used to heat buildings.

“Travis has to reduce its energy intensity (energy usage) by 2.5 percent a year or 10 percent by 2025 to meet Air Force goals,” said Joseph Fallon, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron and base energy manager.

Travis currently has the lowest energy intensity in Air Mobility Command, partially due to the Northern California climate and partially because base leadership made smart investments in lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems 20 years ago. Those systems now need to be upgraded to more efficient systems, said Fallon. 

“We’re also looking at installing new technologies like solar-assisted air conditioning systems and phase-change materials,” he said. 

Phase-change materials store and release large amounts of energy as the materials change from solid to liquid and vice versa, keeping buildings cool longer in the summer and warm longer in the winter months, said Fallon.  

“We can use phase-change materials like a mat of insulation on buildings, but it is not as bulky,” said Fallon. “The question we have to answer is how much energy these technologies would save.”

According to Fallon, energy projects must save enough money to pay for the equipment costs and maintenance.  

In the meantime, base personnel can do a number of things to save energy. 

“The biggest unnecessary waste of energy is using personal appliances like coffee pots, refrigerators, fans or heaters at your desk,” said Fallon.  “Also, keep doors or windows closed when the heat or AC is on. If your workspace does not have occupancy sensors, turn off the lights when you leave the room.”

Simple actions such as these are the real meaning of Energy Action Month, which is the theme of this year’s energy awareness campaign, said Fallon.

The Air Force also wants to make its installations less vulnerable to energy disruptions during a natural disaster or terrorist threat. 

“Travis is looking to develop solar photovoltaic energy sources along with waste-to-energy generation technology,” said Fallon. “These technologies were cost prohibitive in previous years but, as technology advances, these sources of energy are becoming more affordable.”

Solar cells, also called photovoltaic cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV solar systems would not replace the base’s energy sources, but augment it, said Fallon.

A waste-to-energy generation system converts waste to gas. 

“The system we are exploring burns waste at 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit and produces a synthetic gas that can be converted to diesel fuel, methanol or gasoline,” said Fallon. 

While it’s too early to tell if the PV system also will save money, the waste-to-energy system promises to offset “some or all of the $2 million the base spends to ship trash off base,” said Fallon.

 “These projects would also add resiliency, and resiliency would allow Travis to keep performing its mission in a time of power disruption either from terrorist attack or natural disaster," said Fallon.