Oceana breaks ground for energy savings

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Officials at Naval Air Station Oceana broke ground Thursday on a $44 million base-wide Energy Savings Performance Contract.

The energy upgrades will replace aging infrastructure with more efficient and sustainable systems, improve comfort for base personnel, and help the master jet base meet federal energy reduction goals.

Officials anticipate the improvements will help save nearly $5 million in energy costs per year.

The upgrades are scheduled for completion in June of 2011 and involve 42 major buildings on the base including: five bachelor housing buildings, six aircraft hangars, the galley, seven maintenance facilities, eight office buildings, the chapel, three aircraft simulator buildings and numerous other buildings.

Ground source heat pump technology will be the primary replacement for energy provided by the base's much less efficient aging steam plant, which will be demolished.

Over 24,000 lighting fixtures will be upgraded in 70 buildings to reduce energy consumption within base facilities and hangars. Existing water and sewer systems will be upgraded with over 5,000 fixtures in 55 buildings by installing long-life, variable-flow technology in sinks, showers and toilets throughout the base.

In 2008, a similar Energy Savings Performance Contract was completed at Dam Neck Annex and officials say those improvements are resulting in annual energy savings of almost $3 million.