New water heating system improves quality of life, reduces energy consumption

By Ms Sina Kingsbury (USAREUR)December 1, 2011

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAMBERG, Germany -- The quality of life has improved for some community members this month with the implementation of hot water tanks here at Warner Barracks.

After four months of construction, 18 hot water tanks have been installed in 35 housing units. For more than 20 years, hot water was produced at the central heating plant located behind the Shopette. Hot water was then pumped in a 900-meter circle through Upper Beech Way and Sycamore Alley.

"Now every house on Upper Beech Way and Sycamore Alley has their own hot water tank," said Dieter Gerber, chief of the Operation and Maintenance Division for the Directorate of Public Works. "This leads to less energy consumption and a better water quality for drinking because we don't have to pump around all the water."

The old system consumed more energy during the production and transfer of hot water.

"There were heat losses because of the long pipelines," Gerber said. "With the circulation of the water, we had to pump a lot of water all day long in the summer and winter time, so this will save a lot of energy."

Gerber anticipates the new tanks will cut down on Warner Barrack's energy consumption costs.

"We expect that it will save us, on the electrical side, $15,000 a year," Gerber said.

Community members living on Upper Beech Way and Sycamore Alley can now expect better water quality. The quality, in terms of microbiological results, is much better because in the past some people experienced brown water due to the rust in the pipes, he said.

"Our privatized contract, Stadtwerke, is responsible for the water quality," Gerber said.

"Stadtwerke is responsible for maintaining Warner Barrack's heating, electric power and water systems and we are responsible for maintenance or repair."

DPW and Stadtwerke work closely together to maintain Warner Barracks.

"We as technicians sit together and brainstorm how we can become more efficient," Gerber said. "We have very limited resources money wise, so we think about what we can do for less money. At this point if we can get money from our private organization partner, Stadtwerke, then together we can support them with workforce," he said.

Together with the labor from DPW and the money from the contractor, the project was able to come to fruition this year.

"This was a project we thought about two or three years ago," Gerber said. "Now was the time our privatization partner had the money so we could do that together."

"We gave a little of our resources and workforce and Stadtwerke gave us some money for putting in these new stations," he said. "It was joint effort."

Related Links:

Department of Energy

Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Installations and Environment