Depot begins massive energy conservation program to meet federal guidelines imposed by presidential order

By Bill Bartkus
NAVAIR Depot North Island

CORONADO, Calif. – Newspaper advertisements and TV commercials remind us every day to conserve energy. We are asked to turn off lights, computers, fans and other small appliances when we’re not using them, and we are reminded to use large appliances – like washing machines and dryers – during non-peak (or high energy priced) hours.

To set an example to conserve energy, the president has issued an executive order instructing all federal agencies to achieve a 30 percent reduction in energy consumption by 2005. Naval Air Depot North Island is well on its way to meeting and possibly surpassing the president’s order.

The Depot has reduced its electrical consumption rate since the year 2000, according to Lucy Sapien, Code 8.7.3, Depot energy manager. “The president’s executive order to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent not only includes electricity, but natural gas and steam, too,” she said.

Ray Paulson, also Code 8.7.3, said that the Depot’s 10 percent reduction in electricity, the Depot’s No. 1 commodity, is very significant. “Lucy managed to do this through training, shop education, administrative changes, energy awareness, monthly reports to managers, and working with the Business Process Reengineering Team,” he said. “The managers’ reports provide valuable feedback on their energy reduction efforts.”

To help the Depot achieve the president’s mandatory energy consumption reduction, Paulson said that an energy efficiency project has been formed. The Navy Southwest Regional Energy Support Team and San Diego Gas and Electric (and their contractors) are collaborating with the Depot to design energy conservation projects that will improve the Depot’s processes and equipment for its industrial buildings.
“The first category in achieving our goal to reduce energy consumption is making processes and equipment more energy efficient,” he said.

Paulson said that the Depot did a comprehensive audit in 1997, and in the last year, the Environmental Program Office looked at the audit’s highest payback projects (those with a short term payback) and proposed these to the Navy’s Southwest Region Energy Conservation Office as the best places to start conserving energy in the Depot. “As a result of our proposal, the Depot received $600,000 to design the identified processes and equipment that can be improved to be more energy efficient,” said Paulson, an environmental engineer. Paulson said that his office is working with Industrial Planning and Robert Siciliani, Code 6.3, in this effort. “We will go forward with the design, and it needs to be completed by June 2003,” Paulson mentioned.

At that time, Paulson said, the command could receive $6 million to implement the changes. “These are changes that Industrial Planning, the affected shops, and management will approve before committing (to the project).”

Paulson and Sapien both noted that the Depot is competing for the $6 million. “We’re told that if the Depot finishes the design, we will likely receive the money,” stated Paulson.

One of the changes includes motors greater than 25 horsepower. According to Paulson, all of these motors, base wide, would be replaced with energy efficient motors. “The Heat Treat Shop would be upgraded and would receive new equipment,” Sapien mentioned.

Steam traps would be automated with feedback, Paulson noted. “If they’re leaking, we will know automatically through direct digital control monitoring. And they will be repaired,” he said.

Other examples of these initiatives are new, more efficient lighting systems with controls attached for the production areas, and more efficient belts for motors.

The $6 million would come from the Office of the Secretary of Defense via the Navy Southwest Region. The regional office awards the money to those Navy activities in San Diego County that they feel have demonstrated that they can achieve this energy reduction.

“I can’t emphasize enough that ultimately, this is Industrial Planning’s and the customer’s (the shop’s) call,” Paulson said. “When we get the final design, Industrial Planning will determine which projects and when the Depot will implement them with the $6 million.”

Since Sapien has already achieved a 10 percent reduction in energy use with her monthly reports and administrative changes, Paulson said that up to an additional 20 percent in reductions could come from this project. After this project is completed, Paulson said that the Depot would submit another proposal and possibly receive more funds to further reduce the Depot’s energy consumption and improve facilities and equipment.

“Beyond this, we have also identified any place in the plant where we can automate for additional savings,” Paulson said.