Base pushes to curb energy use during peak hours Published June 26, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Robins officials have long been urging energy-conservation to help save money, but as the weather heats up the importance of reducing energy consumption is amplified. Robins is one of about 2,000 large energy consumers in the state with an agreement with Georgia Power that allows rates to fluctuate depending on demand. The upside is that the base gets a low price for power during off-peak hours, but the downside is that the price can go up steeply when state-wide energy use is peaking. The bottom line for Team Robins members is that throughout the summer, during the hottest part of the day, energy conservation efforts should be at a maximum. For example, on June 19th the base got notification that from 1 to 8 p.m. that day, the base energy costs would be five times higher than normal. The Real Time Pricing agreement requires that the base be notified when the rate is going up, but most people on base wouldn't know when that might be. However, Georgia Power project manager Jim Holton, the company's liaison to Robins, said that throughout the summer it's likely that the rate will be higher during the hottest part of the day. "Think of it as the time when your AC at your house works really hard," Mr. Holton said. "That's typically when we are selling a lot of electricity, and it's also typically when our costs go up. When our costs go up so does your price. Any time when your AC at home would be working hard is when it's likely that you are going to save the most money for the base." The energy office is urging the following efforts to help conserve through the increased-cost period: *Turn all lights off not necessary to operations *Turn off all unessential electrical equipment, including chargers, fans, radios, TVs, etc. *Reset AC thermostat in buildings not controlled by CE central thermostat to 78 degrees *Use fans to provide localized cooling, which is cheaper than air conditioning *Ensure that exterior doors and windows remain closed *Consider moving the time of high energy-use processes from daytime to late-evening, early morning hours Also, Civil Engineering is implementing base-wide measures to reduce energy, including raising AC thermostats a few degrees, so people shouldn't bother with notifying anyone if they detect a slight warming in the office.