Energy conservation: People, profit, planet ... pick one or more Published Oct. 7, 2009 By Jonathan Caldwell 325th Civil Engineer Squadron Energy Manager TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Whether you drive a gas guzzler or a hybrid, we don't care, but we do care about helping you find a reason to adopt a conservation mentality, or provide reinforcement if you're already there. Energy conservation is often tagged with a political agenda or private interest group which can be a distraction from what's really important ... responsible energy use as a way of life. Find your reason to adopt the conservation mentality and stick with it. Here are a few reasons to consider; feel free to pick one or more. People There's nothing wrong with wondering, "What's in it for me?" Consider the personal cost of energy in your daily activities and relate it to activities that were reduced or cut. Because families are spending more on energy, they must often choose to cut back or eliminate non-essential activities like travel, home improvement projects or savings accounts. When a conservation mentality is adopted you'll improve your ability to cope with high energy costs. Conservation doesn't have to mean sacrifice or going without; it can mean doing things smarter, being aware of opportunities to save and taking action. One thing's for sure, energy will be more expensive in the future. Whether those increases are driven by market (commodity value of fuel) or legislative forces (carbon tax, cap and trade), higher cost is a certainty and we need to prepare for it now. The Air Force is investing $250 million annually between now and fiscal year 2015 to improve current infrastructure, future infrastructure, expand renewable energy and manage costs. Sustainable design is a fundamental element to improving future infrastructure because it addresses quality of life improvements while maximizing facility energy efficiency. It is a deliberate design and construction approach that focuses on energy efficiency with environmental considerations through the life of the facility. Tyndall's old Fitness Center has served Airmen well for 33 years, but it's not large enough and it's plagued by construction standards that didn't consider energy efficiency or sustainability. Tyndall's new Fitness Center will not only be visually impressive and spacious, it will be a benchmark for efficiency -- it's three times the size of the existing facility, yet will consume 20 percent less energy. Profit In fiscal year 2008, the Air Force spent $7 billion on energy, including aviation and ground fuels. If divided equally, it would cost each Air Force member $11,500. Conserving resources saves money. Money that fuels the mission, trains Airmen, supports families and maintains our position as the world's best Air Force. Air Education and Training Command gave away $3 million in energy incentive money in 2009 and is sponsoring another command-wide competition with $1.5 million going to the base with the greatest energy intensity reduction this fiscal year. Before thinking about what to do with the money, let's earn it. Status quo won't get us there. Every year, we have to be 3 percent better than the year before until we are 30 percent better overall (Executive Order and Federal Law, non negotiable). Planet There are strong opinions surrounding global warming and it's sometimes used to promote conservation, but it's certainly not the only way. There's plenty of eco-reasons people can use as motivation; better air quality, less mining, less dependence on foreign oil, better water quality, less impact to wildlife -- all valid reasons and worthy of consideration. Realistically, we're not going to conserve enough energy to begin shutting down power plants. But it may reduce the number to be built in the future, and it will certainly reduce the amount of fuel required and emissions produced. It's time to do something about it. Turn lights out when no one's around, report sprinkler systems that are running too frequently, tell your facility manager if the temperature is outside base standards. We've all seen someone wearing a jacket in the summer because it's too cold inside or having their window cracked because their office is too hot in the winter. Would you do that at your home? Fight complacency or carelessness, be a part of the energy solution and make energy a consideration in all we do.