Honeywell and Oklahoma Gas & Electric announced a $19.1 million facility modernization project that is expected to reduce energy consumption by 44% and lower energy expenses at Tinker Air Force Base’s assembly plant. Combined with previous energy retrofit projects and sustainability initiatives on the base, the project helps the Oklahoma City Air Force base's efforts to achieve the federally-mandated goal to reduce energy consumption by 25% by 2025.
The project is being led by OG&E and funded through a utility energy service contract. The contract enables the base to pay for the project using future energy savings generated by the more efficient energy, water, and renewable systems to be installed. Honeywell is providing the upgrades and is guaranteeing the savings.
When complete in December 2016, the improvements are anticipated to reduce Tinker Air Force Base’s carbon footprint by 178,627 metric tons over the life of the contract. This is equivalent to removing more than 19,000 average passenger cars from the road, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s equivalency calculator.
“We’re excited to partner with Honeywell and Tinker on this project. We all share a commitment to sustainable energy practices, and we are pleased to support the base in this energy-efficiency initiative,” said Kathleen O’Shea, OG&E spokeswoman. “OG&E offers a variety of energy efficiency programs designed to help our communities and customers save energy and money.”
The project focuses on upgrading the existing central utility plant (CUP) serving Tinker Air Force Base’s 2.9 million-sq-ft assembly plant. The work includes:
• Replacing the steam and heating hot water system with modern boilers
• Updating the chilled water and thermal energy storage system
• Retrofitting lighting fixtures with more energy-efficient systems
• Modernizing the HVAC system
• Optimizing the compressed air system
• Implementing various water conservation measures
“Honeywell is pleased to help a government facility achieve operational excellence and significant energy savings,” said John Rajchert, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “This project shows the impact that can be made when organizations collaborate to help the Air Force further drive toward its sustainability goal by improving overall infrastructure that will boost operational efficiency.”
The new hot water boilers replace the steam and heating hot water system. Honeywell is also installing advanced meter systems to enable Tinker Air Force Base to use Honeywell Energy Manager, a software solution that shows how and where natural gas and electricity is used in its operation. Tinker Air Force Base will also use its existing Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) building management system to manage and control heating, cooling, and metering equipment.
“This project is another milestone in Tinker Air Force Base’s long-term commitment to reducing energy consumption and boosting our sustainability efforts that will benefit the base and the surrounding communities," said Brig. Gen. Mark K. Johnson, OC-ALC commander. "We want to be leaders in sustainability efforts not only within the Air Force, but also among all federal agencies."
This latest project builds on previous energy retrofit work at Tinker Air Force Base. To date, the base has reduced overall energy use by approximately 30% and saved approximately $7 million in annual energy and operating costs. Previous energy retrofit projects have included decommissioning a steam heat grid throughout the base, replacing central steam plants with more energy-efficient hot-water and steam boilers, implementing sub-meters to track utility use in facilities, and integrating all heating, cooling, and metering equipment control in a centralized system under an EBI system from Honeywell.
The Tinker Air Force Base is the largest of three aircraft maintenance and repair complexes operated by the Air Force Materiel Command. It performs service and repair on U.S. Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve aircraft. More than 8,600 military and civilian employees work at the base, whose main facility covers 62 acres and is seven-tenths of a mile long.
