Tyndall cuts water consumption, saves thousands of dollars Published Dec. 14, 2009 By Jennifer Elmore Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall engineers have come up with creative solutions for saving water, energy and money. In fiscal year 2009, engineers cut water consumption by 17.6 percent and saved more than $62,000 by reducing the irrigation schedules. In November alone, $13,000 was saved by turning off the sprinklers. The reduction in irrigation has had no effect on Tyndall's appearance. The engineers also working on a plan to extend the use of reclaimed water from Bay County's nearby treatment plant to the base. If approved and constructed, the project could reduce potable water consumption by 30 percent. Energy intensity, the amount of energy used per square foot, also went down this year by 6.41 percent. The Tyndall energy team conducted more than 700,000 square feet of phase I building energy audits in 2009. Building audits help engineers identify potential heating and cooling, building envelope, lighting and water conservation projects. Recent audits identified the need for a large lighting retrofit at the Berg-Liles Dining Hall. The project will begin in January and is expected to save $10,000 a year in energy costs. Tyndall's new $18.6 million physical fitness center took shape this year and is on track to reach the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum level, the highest rating possible under the group's green building rating system. It would be the first such facility in the Department of Defense. Highly reflective surfaces, solar panels, recycled construction materials and geothermal heat pumps make the facility 30 percent more energy efficient and are expected to save $45,000 a year in energy costs. Facility managers, civil engineers, lodging personnel and the privatized housing contractor all worked together to implement Energy Star's Operation Change Out - A Military Challenge. They changed out nearly 10,000 inefficient, incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lights. This effort will save 3,571,020 kilowatt hours of electricity, $481,034 on energy and maintenance bills, and prevent 5,499,371 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of the bulbs. "In the coming year, we look to partner with the local utility to execute conservation projects and explore waste-to-energy power generation in order to exceed federal renewable goals," said Jon Caldwell, Tyndall Air Force Base Energy Manager.