Turning equipment off might seem like too small an action to make a significant difference, but it does at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD).
Our Equipment Maintenance Division organized an Energy Conservation Team to optimize preventive maintenance (PM) for a smaller workforce with fewer resources.
We wanted to calculate the best energy conservation strategy because, as the Army depot responsible for sustaining helicopters for the Armed Forces, we must remain a few steps ahead of the game to ensure mission readiness in a changing world.
Right now we're adjusting to the decline of personnel. This limits our team's ability to perform routine maintenance on our machines at our regular tempo.
That's when we came up with the Equipment Energy Conservation Program.
To meet that goal, our Energy Conservation Team is in the process of recording usage hour meters on all equipment at the production floor. This initial capture will establish how often our production equipment is used now.
By researching and analyzing the life-cycle maintenance of CCAD's machinery, we can measure the effectiveness of our conservation program. This will fuel our efforts to achieve energy resiliency that will sustain CCAD for the coming years.
The team will then conduct walk-throughs to identify energy saving opportunities--the first and strongest indicator of such an opportunity will be when they encounter production equipment that remains idle for too long.
Potential energy savers will then be shut off and labeled with an "Energy Conservation Program" tag.
The hope is that this new tagging system will resonate with shop floor equipment specialists, reminding them to be mindful of their energy consumption at work and paving the way for a plant-wide energy-conscious work environment.
We just launched this program but we estimate it will take about four months to get through every directorate in CCAD. Right now we anticipate spending two to three weeks in every directorate, performing walk throughs and identifying energy savers. The real test will come after implementation.
Due to the Depot's status in the Organic Industrial Base for helicopter repair and maintenance, some programs must always be ready and available to serve the Nation's next mission. We will take this into account with every piece of equipment.
Successful energy-efficient programs require a depot-wide commitment--everyone in the workforce has a key role to play in the ongoing process that involves understanding energy use, implementing good operational and maintenance practices, making behavioral changes and working as a team.
Together, the CCAD team will continue to evolve to be better stewards of resources and best fill our enduring commitment to sustaining the helicopters America's Joint Force has trusted for generations.
Ernest Forney is the Division Chief and Eddie Mireles is an industrial hygiene technician for CCAD's Equipment Maintenance Division. Public Affairs prepared this story for publication.
Related Links:
Asst. Secretary of Army for Installations; Energy & Environment
STAND-TO! Energy Action - A Perpetual Responsibility
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