Barksdale chosen location to go “green”

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Barksdale dorms were recently chosen to be a test location for energy conserving technology that could reduce energy consumption and increase the amount of renewable resources used by dorm residents.

The molten carbonate fuel-cell power plant, located near Bldg. 4263, or the Stratofortress Dormitory, is powered by domestic natural gas. The result provides electricity, heat and water for 168 dorm residents. In fact, the power plant could generate enough electricity to power four dormitories of the same size.

"Barksdale, like other federal facilities, is required by public law to reduce energy consumption, increase energy efficiency and convert to cleaner sources of fuel," said Dave Sanders, an environmental engineer with the 2d Civil Engineer Squadron. "This fuel-cell power plant helps Barksdale meet the intent of this legislation and reduce dependency on fossil fuels."

According to Mr. Sanders, the power plant generates electricity electrochemically, without combustion, which would produce nearly zero pollutants.

"The clean and efficient production of electricity from the fuel cell actually reduces green house gas emission into the atmosphere," he said.

The power plant, which took roughly six months to erect and be fully functional, began running in April, and is scheduled to be in place through next year. During the one-year test period, data will be collected and analyzed to assess the performance and cost impact. Though it's too early to tell if the fuel-cell power plant will actually save the base any money, Mr. Sanders said the idea of having it here is kind of neat.

"We're optimistic about the future!" he said. "The power plant is clean, puts out zero air pollutants and is only about as noisy as a large air-conditioning unit."

Mr. Sanders said the second phase of the demonstration will be removal of the unit from the base and number crunching to evaluate whether or not the fuel cell is economically viable.

For Barksdale, that will be the end of the test period for the fuel cell, but there are many other environmentally friendly projects in the works. Additional "green" endeavors at Barksdale include lighting retrofits, infrared heating, pipe insulation, installing high-efficiency boilers and water-conserving bath fixtures.

According to Mr. Sanders, these projects have an estimated annual savings of more than $400,000. However, for now, base leadership remains focused and optimistic about the possibilities the current fuel-cell project brings to the base.

"Barksdale Air Force Base is always glad to participate in initiatives that explore possible alternative energy sources," said Col. Gerald Hounchell, 2d Bomb Wing vice commander. "We are excited that the fuel cell is now online and look forward to seeing the results of its test run at Barksdale."