Honeywell (News - Alert) has announced that it’s been contracted by the United States Air Force for an $11 million modernization project at the U.S. Air Force base in Los Angeles, California. The project includes efficiency upgrades and renewable energy measures that will help cut energy use by about 17 percent and generate an estimated average of $800,000 in annual energy savings over the 23-year contact.
The project is part of an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) awarded by the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama. Under the contract, Honeywell guarantees the improvements will generate enough energy savings to pay for the work, so the Air Force will not need an initial capital investment. Over the contract term, the project is self-funding.
“As a critical location for the U.S. Air Force, we strive to ensure the services we provide meet the highest standards of excellence, and the same should be said of our building infrastructure,” said Ed Wilson, energy manager, Los Angeles Air Force Base. “This project is a way for us to keep base facilities operating optimally and in the most environmentally and budget-sound way possible.”
Based in El Segundo, California, Los Angeles Air Force Base is home to the headquarters of the Space and Missile Systems Center, which is part of the Air Force Space Command. The base is the only active duty installation in the greater Los Angeles area, and serves nearly 5,000 personnel. The Honeywell project includes facility upgrades at 31 base buildings at both Los Angeles AFB and Fort MacArthur, an affiliated location 20 miles away comprised of housing and administrative facilities.
As part of the program, Honeywell will install 3,400 rooftop solar photovoltaic modules on four buildings that will generate 1,275 kilowatts of power — enough to cover nearly 10 percent of the base's energy needs. Other improvements include: Lighting upgrades with occupancy sensors, high-efficiency rooftop air conditioning units with temperature control upgrades, smart irrigation controls with automated controllers, and solar reflective window film at seven buildings for improved temperature control and energy conservation.
“Military installations like Los Angeles Air Force Base play a critical role for those they serve and the broader community, but tackling important infrastructure needs is just one item in a long list of responsibilities,” said John Rajchert, President, Honeywell Building Solutions. “Performance contracts are viable tools for addressing infrastructure issues in often tough budgetary environments so bases can continue to operate at the highest possible level.”
The project is expected to decrease the Base’s annual energy consumption by nearly 5,500,000 kilowatt-hours and Honeywell and the Air Force expect to complete the project by early 2018.