Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has earned the Secretary of the Navys (SECNAV) Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Management Platinum Level Award for FY 2016 environmental accomplishments.
Presented annually and divided into 15 major categories (10 shore and five ship) the SECNAV award is the highest level of recognition within the Navys energy programs.
FRCSWs efforts recognized by the Platinum level category designate an outstanding energy program and an exceptional year for energy project execution.
Three shore-based commands, including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and four ships joined FRCSW in the Platinum level of accomplishment.
One measure of a successful energy conservation program is by meeting compliance with executive order 13423 (EO 13423). Signed in January 2007, EO 13423 directs federal agencies to improve energy efficiencies by reducing water consumption, electricity usage and greenhouse gases by three percent per year.
The new executive order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, started in the beginning of FY16 which created the new baseline of FY15 and a yearly energy reduction of 2.5% moving forward to FY2025.
Investing more than $42 million in energy reduction projects since FY 2012 to FY 2016, FRCSW managed a 28 percent reduction in energy consumption, and a drop in energy intensity by 32.91 British Thermal Units (MMBTU)/thousand square feet (KSF) MMBTU/KSF.
MMBTU is an energy measurement for steam, electricity or natural gas.
During the same fiscal four-year period, water consumption was reduced by 21.7 percent, and water intensity by 2.48 thousand gallons (KGAL/KSF).
FRCSW uses an index of energy consumption called energy intensity, which is based on BTUs, vice industrial floor space.
A similar index, called water intensity is used to measure thousands of gallons of water instead of industrial square feet.
The commands Building Energy Monitor (BEM) Program promotes energy awareness not only on the work floor, but throughout all levels of management.
FRCSW has 12 BEMs who monitor energy systems in their respective buildings.
Metering data is graphed and distributed to FRCSW managers and BEMs monthly.
Funding for FRCSWs energy programs originate through various sources including utility Energy Service Contracts (UESC) and Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC).
Authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, UESCs are a limited-source contract between a federal agency and its serving utility for energy and water efficiency improvements and demand-reduction services.
An ESPC enables federal agencies to partnership with energy service companies to achieve reduction goals or create improvements to existing energy systems.
FRCSW has a current $24 million ESPC that targeted LED lighting retrofits in nine buildings, decentralization of compressed air, HVAC retrofits to two different calibrations labs, zero-bleed cooling towers, and water conservation steam mixing valves at multiple wash racks.
The contract also includes operations and maintenance of the equipment installed for 14 years which will help sustain the equipment to its maximum lifespan.
Furthermore, the command is forming a second ESPC to decentralize all buildings from base steam. Steam boilers will be used for industrial process buildings, while the remaining buildings will be converted from steam to heating hot water boilers, gas fired unit heaters, or heat pumps.
Natural gas will be supplied by a new Navy-owned gas main.
In other cost saving initiatives, FRCSW disabled steam to roof top air handlers in Building 472 resulting in approximately $500,000 in annual savings, and by reducing winter irrigation at Building C-100 more than $6,800 will be saved annually.