Siemens helps Dyess Air Force Base maximize performance capabilities
Dyess Air Force Base, Texas
The major training facility for B-1B bombers and C-130 air cargo ships, Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, is large enough to be its own city. With help from Siemens Building Technologies, the base's small crew achieved its ambitious goals, and even earned the Department of Energy's Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management.
The Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management is given annually to five federal facilities that have shown dedication and leadership in the conservation of energy. Dyess is the first air force base to win this award.
Client Ojectives
Since most of its staff consists of military personnel, the base is constantly subject to reassignments and sudden departures. Therefore, the base needed energy solutions that would reduce maintenance. At the same time, building system performance fell short of the base's requirements: dim lighting in hangers made aircraft repair work difficult; heating and cooling was uneven throughout the campus; unreliable power systems threatened to disrupt operations; and water consumption levels were unacceptably high.
Siemens Solutions
To tackle uneven lighting issues and also to save energy, Siemens used both daylight and occupancy sensors to ensure electrical lights are used only when needed. Siemens also changed from magnetic to electronic ballasts to accommodate lower wattage bulbs.
Using infrared technology, Siemens engineers inspected all electrical panels and identified corrosion, loose connections and other problems contributing to energy loss. Then they repaired, cleaned and re-torqued all damaged panels.
Siemens replaced or retrofitted more than 1,000 tons of HVAC equipment. New high-efficiency hot water boilers replaced steam boilers that required highly specialized, labor-intensive maintenance. Next, Siemens replaced some of the inefficient and difficult-to-maintain direct exchange condenser systems with a chilled water system.
Siemens designed and built an effluent water system for the base's irrigation and other non-drinkable water needs such as washing aircraft. An elaborate sequence of work included: digging and laying a seven-mile pipeline from the nearby city of Abilene, building two pumping stations, and digging two water storage ponds that together hold 20 million gallons of water.
Client Results
Siemens energy services save taxpayers more than $1.3 million each year.
New 300-watt bulbs provide the same light output as 1,000-watt bulbs at a vastly reduced energy draw. This, along with the sensor technology and increased electrical reliability, saves about $417,000 annually in energy costs.
Requiring far less maintenance, the base's new and retrofitted HVAC equipment saves more than $585,000 in combined operational and energy savings. Even a skeleton crew can handle the new systems' needs, adding to its reliability.
The base's water rate is now roughly half that of previous levels for a total annual savings of more than $335,000. In addition, the base uses less water, so draw from the city's supply is down to 2 percent of total use. That's about 120 million gallons no longer needed per year.