AFSO21 energy effort not just conservation measures Published Nov. 12, 2010 By Senior Master Sgt. Glen Robinson 65th Air Base Wing LAJES FIELD, Azores -- When it comes to conserving energy, Team Lajes has heeded Commander Kill A Watt's conservation message, but members of the energy team want the community to know they aren't just the energy police. "The energy team has been working on numerous initiatives outside of the conservation realm to ensure that other facets of the energy battle are also being addressed," said Lerena Duarte, Lajes energy manager. One of their most recent efforts is reminding Team Lajes that energy can be conserved every day not just on holidays and weekends. The team's new campaign, "When we're not here," is designed to keep team members focused on saving energy each time they leave their work areas, whether it's for their lunch break or when they go home at the end of the work day. "It's about what we can do to reduce energy every day," said Ms. Duarte. The base's energy efforts are concentrated in three buckets: renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation. "We are working all of these pieces together," Ms. Duarte said. "We have evolved into a lot more than energy conservation." In the renewable energy bucket, the team has made great strides by forming a partnership with the local power company and host nation counterparts. The partnership will allow the base to explore the possibility of using existing and new renewable energy resources, and technology to meet Lajes' energy demands. "We believe Lajes has a good opportunity to convert energy derived from fossil fuel energy sources to locally derived renewable energy sources. We are partnering with the local power company to determine renewable energy options for Lajes Field, which will increase energy efficiency and reduce Lajes' environmental impact," added Ms. Duarte. The organization is conducting an analysis to determine what renewable energy sources would be feasible at Lajes, allowing the base to continue to support the war fighters in a more environmentally friendly way. The energy team agrees the base's desire to be a leader in renewable energy offers unusual opportunities to conserve energy and reduce fossil fuel consumption. One of the efforts the group is presently working on is a base wide energy audit. "Energy audits provide in-depth looks into energy usage in our facilities and processes. Audits provide essential information on how to reduce Lajes' energy use and costs. Examples include flight line water and waste-water treatment plants, DECA, DoDDS, and cold storage facilities," Ms. Duarte said. "The energy team will audit some of the wing's high-energy-use maintenance or industrial facilities. The audit will allow the wing to understand how they are consuming energy and help them look for opportunities to reduce consumption, lower costs and increase efficiency," Ms. Duarte explained. The results of the energy audits will be used to prioritize energy reduction efforts in fiscal 2012, helping Lajes meet its overall energy reduction efforts. Though the energy team is convinced Team Lajes is hearing the energy conservation message, they are still working to find new ways for the Lajes community to conserve energy. "The whole base has embraced energy conservation," Ms. Duarte said. The Air Force named Lajes Field the third top energy saver across the force in 2008 and said, "no matter what bucket they are focusing on, the people implementing the culture change are the driving force behind reaching the base's energy goals" Energy reduction is a cultural change which requires Lajes to take conservation steps within our control and to hold people accountable in order to achieve energy goals, she said. It doesn't matter whether they are implementing a more energy efficient maintenance process or they make powering down their work areas as part of their daily routine, each individual effort puts Lajes on the right track. "Ultimately it is the people who make the difference with energy conservation. With nearly 20 percent of energy consumption directly controlled by individuals, each of us are on the front line," said Ms. Duarte. Commander Kill A Watt and the energy team are once again calling on Lajes Warriors to be energy conscious when you depart your work-center periodically, end-of-day, weekends, holidays. The team asks for all members to use the energy checklist to ensure energy waste is eliminated before departing the base. When we're not in the office and as an end of day reminder: Turn off lights Turn off computer monitors, speakers, printers, shredders by power strip or unplug Unplug electronic chargers when not in use Turn off printers, copiers and fax machines Unplug coffee pots and microwaves Unplug TV's and DVD's Unplug plasma screens and radios Close windows and doors Turn off bathroom and conference room lights when exiting.