RAF Lakenheath goes green

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristopher Levasseur
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Energy conservation has been a hot topic on many Air Force installations and RAF Lakenheath is no exception.

The Air Force has reduced facility energy usage by 30 percent over the last 20 years by incorporating energy conservation into operations without impacting the mission, said the Honorable Michael W. Wynne, Secretary of the Air Force, in a letter to Airmen.

"Energy costs money," said Parviz Tigeri, 48th Civil Engineering Squadron, maintenance engineer deputy chief. "If we can save money by using less energy, we can put it into programs and renovations for the base."

Money saved with energy conservation is used to improve facilities, purchase new equipment and assist quality of life programs.

"Lakenheath is being more energy efficient by modernizing our construction and using more efficient vehicles, but the biggest way we can save money is by getting the people to be conscious of how they are spending energy," said Capt. Dustin Richards, 48th CES, operations flight deputy commander.

The top five energy conservation tips from the 48th CES are:

- Turn off computers, monitor and printer when not in use. Computers and particularly laser printers can really run up power bills.
- Remove all unnecessary lights in halls, utility rooms and outside. Replacing a 150 watt flood light with a 75 watt ER type will save $15 per year. Replacing old fluorescent bulbs with newer high efficiency bulbs can also save money with no loss in lighting.
- Thermostats in offices and recreation rooms should be set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 78 degrees F in summer.
- Be conscious of dripping faucets and leaky pipes. A leak that can fill a coffee cup in ten minutes wastes more than 3,200 gallons of water a year.
- Perform daily checks. Set aside time at the end of the day to go around the office and make sure everything that can be turned off is and all other concerns such as water leaks are taken care of.

Energy conservation does not stop at the workplace. Military members living in base housing also costs RAF Lakenheath money.

"People in base housing should use their utilities like they were paying for them," said Captain Richards. "Turning off lights and appliances in military housing can save the Air Force millions of dollars a year."