Peterson saving initiatives Published March 18, 2011 By Jim Jacobsen Jim Jacobsen PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- As part of the Department of Defense energy savings program, the 21st Space Wing has identified 10 energy and water saving projects for funding in Fiscal Year 2011. These projects range in scope from the replacement of shower heads, to adding solar panels, to completely reconfiguring the cooling systems for an entire facility. Building 1 heat pump Unlike your home, many of the buildings on Peterson Air Force Base require heating and cooling at the same time in order to maintain temperatures within the established set points. Computer rooms, filled conference rooms and sunlit areas often require cooling even during the coldest periods. Because of this, an opportunity exists to recover heat from one area for distribution to another area. In order to do this, Building 1 will receive a new water-to-water heat pump. Currently, the facility is cooled with water-cooled chillers. Cold water is circulated up to the air handlers on the roof. Warm air from the building is cooled at a heat exchanger and distributed back to the building where needed. The water returning to the chillers is warmer. Currently, the heat gained in this water is concentrated in the chiller and sent to the cooling towers outside. The new heat pump will recover this concentrated heat and add it to the hot water line for distribution in the building in the areas it is needed. The heat pump also provides additional chilled water back to the air handlers. Savings are realized because the building's heating boilers do not need to make as much hot water to provide heat. Pool water heating The Peterson AFB Aquatic Center will see some changes that save energy. Solar water heating panels will be added to the roof of the aquatic center to heat water for the pool. These panels will be located on the southeast facing roof between the skylights. In addition to the solar panels, solar screens are going to be added to the kiddie pool area to help reduce the heat gain from the sun in this area. Behind the scenes, the heat recovery unit will be activated to recover the heat in the warm humid air within the building and send it back to the pool. Currently, the warm air is sent outside unless needed to re-heat the air in the building. Building 2025 heating and cooling system The HVAC system in Building 2025 will receive an upgrade under another energy project. The building was originally constructed in two different phases and because of that has two separate heating and cooling systems that operate independently. Under the plan, the equipment will be upgraded and modified to work as one system. As this facility requires cooling in some areas all year long, additional savings will come in the form of "free cooling" during colder months. Free cooling takes the cold, dry outside air and through the use of evaporative cooling, cools the chill water circulating through the facility without using the more energy-hogging chillers. Heat recovery from one chiller will also be incorporated which concentrates the heat coming back from the cooling system and distributes it to the heating system. Energy audit projects; multiple facilities The summer of 2010 saw the first large-scale energy audits completed for Peterson AFB. From these audits, Buildings 1, 2, 216, 350, 560, 570, 845, 863, 895, 1013,1141, 1142, 1171, 1255, 1470, 1471, 2012 and 2025 will see changes in their HVAC systems and plumbing fixtures. The HVAC changes will convert the current system to variable air flow systems, which will save energy and reduce simultaneous heating and cooling of the same air before distribution. Modifications in the controls system will allow the air supply temperature to be increased as the need for cooling is reduced throughout the facility. Schedules will be added to reduce operation of the heating and cooling systems during unoccupied hours. With that, override controls will be added to allow the system to stay on during those times that people have to work late. Older pneumatic controls will be changed out with digital controls to provide tighter control of the space temperatures and reduce lag time. All systems will receive what is called retro-commissioning or recommissioning to rebalance air flow throughout the facilities and correct minor deficiencies that have developed in the systems over time. Overall, these changes are expected to provide significant energy savings for the base and improve conditions for personnel within the facilities. We will continue to post updates on these projects on the Petelight website; so, check back to see the continued progress in energy savings at Peterson AFB. Also, if you have energy saving suggestions, e-mail petelight@peterson.af.mil.