Stephen Rowley, Fort Drum Directorate of Public Works energy manager, speaks during the Energy Awareness and Conservation Assessment executive session held Friday at the Commons. The session provided an overview of the Fort Drum Energy Conservation P...
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (April 7, 2016) -- While most people cringe at the idea of being audited, an assessment conducted last week at Fort Drum showcased some of the ways in which the installation has excelled in the area of energy conservation and sustainability.
Part of a routine Installation Management Command audit process, the Energy Awareness and Conservation Assessment was performed to gather information regarding the effectiveness of current energy-saving measures as well as to give suggestions for implementing changes, said Truett Sanchez, an energy manager with IMCOM Headquarters.
"Roughly every four years, we try to give some support to our energy managers," he said. "We fund this study so that an outside source can come in and see how a particular garrison is doing and provide them with feedback. It tells IMCOM how the installation is doing and provides division and garrison leaders with suggestions for areas of further improvement -- ones that could save the installation money."
The assessment consisted of two main components, said Jim McKechnie, a contractor with DAV Energy Solutions.
"The first part is looking at overall energy numbers and assessing those compared to regulations and guidelines," he said. "The second part is an audit plan that starts with what I did this week -- coming out and seeing buildings and meeting with people to talk about how the systems are working."
Escorted by Stephen Rowley, Directorate of Public Works energy manager, McKechnie visited several buildings across the installation to observe the way that energy is used and to gather information that later will be compiled into a detailed report. Fort Drum leaders can then use that information to formulate new ideas for improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability.
"Energy efficiency and management really is -- in many ways -- a top-down system," McKechnie said. "The greatest benefits can be achieved when leadership is involved. We really emphasize that policies and priorities have a huge impact on how energy is managed."
During his presentation, McKechnie shared highlights of his visit. He applauded Fort Drum for the use of devices and machinery such as exterior light controls, occupancy sensors and high-efficiency condensing boilers.
McKechnie also said that the Utility Monitoring and Control System used by Fort Drum was a major source of savings for the installation.
The UMCS is used to monitor and control functions for heating and cooling systems, water telemetry and meter reading, and it can remotely detect maintenance problems within the 434 buildings that it is programmed to control, Rowley said.
"We can use this system to save energy by setting back temperatures when facilities are not in use," he said. "We can monitor buildings to see if there is a utility problem before the people in the building even know it. It's a very effective tool."
McKechnie also identified areas in which Fort Drum has already begun to improve energy efficiency or should begin to do so -- such as replacing equipment or materials with more energy-efficient options as they break or during scheduled upgrades.
Rowley spoke of two relatively new IMCOM policies that would involve partnerships between military installations and outside utility companies. These utility companies would invest in energy-saving projects for the installation, and they would be paid back according to an agreed upon schedule.
"Basically, we would go to a utility company, and they would provide the financing and contractors for projects that save us energy," he said. "It is essentially like a loan that we pay back over time using the money that we are saving on energy costs."
Although such a contract has not yet been established at Fort Drum, installation leaders have begun the planning process. Initially, their efforts would focus on two objectives: replacement of existing lighting with LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, and retro-commissioning -- systematic replacement of outdated equipment with more efficient versions.
"This policy makes sense for us," he said. "Budgets are getting tighter. No matter what, we will always pay the electric bill. We will always pay the gas bill. That means something else will suffer. If we can save money on energy, those funds are available to the units and to support the mission."
Rowley also emphasized that energy conservation is not just something for which leaders and post organizations are responsible, but something that every person living and working on the installation should be involved in.
"An energy savings program is successful when everyone is being conscious of energy management," he said. "When we look at simple things like turning off lights and making sure doors and windows are closed -- that is one simple thing that every organization, every unit, every person can do to prevent wasting energy."
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