An energy savings performance contract is helping the Los Angeles Air Force Base cut its energy use by 17%, saving roughly $800,000 a year.
The 23-year contract includes an $11 million modernization project guaranteed to generate enough energy savings to pay for the work, which means the Air Force won’t have to provide an initial capital investment. Based in El Segundo, CA, the campus serves nearly 5,000 military personnel and houses the headquarters of the Space and Missile Systems Center, part of the Air Force Space Command. This project covers 31 base buildings between Los Angeles AFB and Fort MacArthur, a group of housing and administrative facilities about 20 miles from the base.
The improvements include:
- 3,400 rooftop solar photovoltaic modules on four buildings that will generate 1,275 kW of power, about 10% of the base’s energy needs
- Lighting upgrades, including occupancy sensors and replacing fluorescent and incandescent fixtures with LED versions at all locations
- New rooftop air conditioning units, which include 14 new high-efficiency units and temperature control upgrades
- Smart irrigation controls to replace Fort MacArthur’s existing manual controls, as well as new automated controllers
- Overall building improvements to reduce energy use, including solar reflective window film to improve temperature control and conserve energy at seven buildings
