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No-Heat/No-Cool goes into effect

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Kyle Bergren
  • 43rd Civil Engineering Squadron
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Fall is here and members of the 43rd Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning section are preparing for the upcoming heating season. The HVAC shop begins turning off chillers and heat pumps Tuesday. Some systems require a cool down period, because they share the same heating and cooling water pipes. After the shop completes these steps, an intensive preventative maintenance program is then performed. "System maintenance is a periodic requirement that takes priority over routine repairs," said Don Hodson, 43rd CES Operations Flight deputy commander. Without our recurring maintenance program, some systems would deteriorate to the point of catastrophic failure, Don Hodson added. We look forward to the change-over period between heating and cooling to accomplish the majority of our maintenance. The Energy Conservation Policy's No-Heat/No-Cool plan goes into effect Tuesday and continues through Nov. 15, weather permitting. During the no-heat/no-cool period, 43rd CES will complete the third step of preparing all buildings to switch over to heating. According to the policy, during the spring, the no-cool period can be suspended if the outdoor air exceeds a certain temperature for five consecutive days. In the winter, the no-heat period can be suspended if the outdoor air temperature falls below 55 degrees for five consecutive days. The CES will program the appropriate temperatures for buildings with Direct Digital Controls. The base wide Energy Management Control system can control these buildings from a central location. The base averages $300,000 in utility bills per month. Since a very large portion of Pope's energy usage is related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, taking advantage of mild weather is an excellent opportunity to save money and energy. Turning off the HVAC systems contributes to the 30 percent reduction in energy use which is vital to the success of meeting reduction goals mandated by the president. The overall plan is to save energy for the base, said Robert Logan, 43rd CES HVAC supervisor. In addition to reducing how long we leave things on, we are installing more efficient equipment to help save energy. Dormitories and billeting are the priority for switching to the more efficient air conditioning, followed by training facilities, then the remaining administrative and industrial facilities. The facility managers are the first point of contact for any building and equipment problems. For more information, call CE customer service at 394-2821.