Energy Conservation Paying off for Navy in Southern California

POINT MUGU, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) participated in Southern California Edison's Demand Response program and shut down non-essential electrical devices between noon and 8 p.m. to reduce the load on California's electrical grid and avoid rolling blackouts during several hot days in August.

Every time the base takes part in the program, NBVC receives not only a financial incentive, but also a reduced electric bill.

For example, during the first four events - Aug. 8, 10, 14 and 16 - NBVC reduced its energy consumption by 17,338 kilowatt hours. That resulted in a total incentive of $6,530 - an amount that will be credited toward the next electric bill - plus an actual savings on the electric bill of $2,254.

"An energy reduction event is called when Southern California's utility grid is overloaded due to high consumer electrical demand as a result of high temperatures," said Tom Santoianni, energy manager for NBVC. "SCE seeks participation from their customers to reduce electrical energy usage to the greatest extent possible to avoid power blackouts. NBVC is a large user of SCE electricity, and we ask all NBVC personnel to do their part to reduce their usage of electrical energy during these events."

Santoianni asks base personnel take the following steps to reduce energy usage:

1. Turn off lights in unoccupied areas.
2. Turn off lights in areas receiving adequate daylight (offices, shops, warehouses, hangars, hallways, etc.).
3. Use task or table lighting instead of overhead lighting whenever possible.
4. Do a building walk-through to turn off any unnecessary equipment or lights.
5. Turn off fans, radios and other unnecessary personal devices and speakers, printers and copiers that aren't being used, and be sure they're turned off at end of day.
6. Turn off heating and air-conditioning except where absolutely necessary.
7. Shift all energy-intensive processes outside of the noon to 8 p.m. time window.
8. Shut down all energy-using devices before going home at the end of day.

Turn off computers (including NMCI), monitors, speakers and any peripherals not being used, and be sure they're turned off at end of day.

Personnel living on base in bachelor quarters and family housing are urged to conserve electricity to the greatest extent possible in their living quarters through the end of the event. Put off running major appliances until the event has ended.

"We are asking that everyone do their part to help conserve electricity to avoid rolling blackouts and power failures that will affect not only the base, but the outside community as well," Santoianni said.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Base Ventura County, visit www.navy.mil/local/nbvc/.