WASHINGTON, April 22, 2004. On Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Navy (DoN) environmental and energy efficiency efforts are protecting our nation's vital natural resources at a time when the United States relies heavily on foreign sources of energy.
The DoN environmental and energy program is moving America toward a more sustainable future by conserving energy resources and improving environmental quality.
The Navy's Energy Program has been instrumental in helping the Navy and the Marine Corps reach its energy reduction goals, and reduce greenhouse gas and indirect nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. Since 1985, the Navy's Energy Program has saved taxpayers more than $500 million per year (adjusted for inflation).
The Navy's Energy Program was honored this past year with several high-level awards. Most notably, President Bush recognized the Naval Facilities Engineering Command with a Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management in the category of "Outstanding Performance." The award was one of five Presidential Awards presented in 2003.
The Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program honored the Navy with 12 energy and water management awards, representing 30 percent of the entire federal government. Additionally, the Navy was awarded one of five "Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards" by the Alliance to Save Energy, a non- profit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders that promotes energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment, and energy security.
The Navy's Energy Program's success comes from implementing a results- oriented program, focused on maintaining mission readiness with a tremendous commitment to energy efficiency. The program integrates a variety of approaches including Public Private Venture, Energy Savings Performance Contracts, and Utility Energy Service Contracts.
As part of this effort, Navy has launched a variety of innovated projects:
Geothermal Power Plant (PPV)
The Navy's 270MW geothermal power plant at NAWS China Lake, Calif., has generated 26 million MWh since its inception -- enough to power 180,000 homes nearly pollution free. The project has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4.5 million metric tons carbon equivalent. The plant provides an alternative energy source that allows the Navy shore facility to become less dependent on foreign hydrocarbon fuels.
Wave Energy Technology
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) implemented a Wave Energy Technology project, which converts the mechanical energy of ocean waves into electricity. ONR contracted with Ocean Power Technologies to develop and deploy a wave energy converter system called the PowerBuoy in Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii.
Photovoltaic System
The Navy provided the largest federal photovoltaic projects ever constructed with the installation of a 1.1 megawatt (MW) alternating current (AC) photovoltaic (PV) power generating plant at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. This PV system provides electrical power to the Marine Corps base, and supplements the purchased kilowatt-hours of electricity supplied by the local utility. Another large PV project is the 750 kW photovoltaic covered parking area at Naval Air Station, North Island, Calif. This project was made possible through Energy Saving Performance Contracting financing and $3.5 million in state and local grants. This PV system generates enough electricity to supply 935 homes, equating to 2,488 barrels of crude oil annually that would have been needed to generate the equivalent amount of power.
Water
Since 2000, the Navy has reduced its annual water demand by more than two billion gallons by institutionalizing water best management practices, and increasing awareness. The benefits to the environment from water conservation are immense such as the reduced use of chlorine related to treatment of potable water and treatment of wastewater and improved facility sustainability.
Wind
To reduce the use of diesel fuel and prevent harmful emissions, the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Public Works Center San Diego, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory installed three 225-kilowatt wind turbines on San Clemente Island, California. The turbines have already produced more than two million kilowatt-hours of electricity, providing approximately 13 percent of the island's total electricity needs. At the Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay a 3.8 MW wind farm is currently under construction. This wind farm will replant electricity previously being produced by diesel generators.
Sun
The Navy is pursuing sustainable design concepts including passive solar. At Naval Base San Diego, thermal solar heating was installed -- 10,000 square feet of thermal solar collectors that provide about 4,140 million Btu's per year to heat a large swimming pool. Additionally, skylighting combined with High Output T-5 lighting, control by photocells, were installed in a gymnasium.
Last year, the Navy's Energy Program implemented more than $200 million in energy-saving infrastructure improvement that is expected to reduce the Navy's annual consumption by more than 1.5 million MBTU/year and will generate more than $150 million in total life-cycle cost avoidance. The Navy's energy costs in FY03 were down $72 million compared to FY02, and $500 million (adjusted for inflation) compared to FY85.
For more information, visit https://energy.navy.mil.