An energy conservation and distributed generation project will allow the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, GA to become the Navy’s first Net Zero Energy base.
The project credits a $170 million, 23-year energy savings performance contract from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) to Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, for funding the project.
The venture involves the installation of an 8.5-megawatt biomass-fueled, steam-to-electricity (STE) generator, high-efficiency transformers, lighting and boiler upgrades, as well as system controls for a landfill gas electricity generator and centralized monitoring and operation of electricity generation and distribution for the base.
With the added generation and conservation measures, officials estimate it will reduce the total annual electrical consumption by 15% (7,200 megawatt-hours) yearly, resulting in a “Net Zero” status--as it will be an energy-efficient installation where the annual energy demand will be fully met by renewable energy produced on site.
“We look forward to continuing our efforts to conserve energy while preserving the mission effectiveness of our installation whose focus of effort is the warfighter,” says MCLB Albany’s Commanding Officer Col. James C. Carroll III. “Once completed, we expect to be the first Net Zero-energy installation within the Department of the Navy (DON), which will be a significant national achievement and point of pride for our community.”
