Robins Unplugged: Team Robins kills 400,000 kwh Published June 6, 2008 By Amanda Creel 78th ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, Ga. -- Commander Kill A Watt is earning his keep as members of the Robins community take heed of the energy conservation message. Team Robins' willingness to meet the energy conservation objectives set before them was evident as the base community celebrated the Memorial Day holiday. "Robins stepped up to the challenge. Through general conservation measures, the base saved an estimated $24,000 over the Memorial Day holiday. If we can save that in one weekend, think what we could do with the remaining 3,700 off time hours remaining in 2008," said Dave Bury, pollution prevention program manager with the Environmental Management Division. The base population was asked "to turn it off when they were off" and many answered the call, saving more than 400,000 kilowatt hours of energy during the long weekend. "Since I became commander of the 78th Air Base Wing, I have continually asked the base to raise its game and that is just what Team Robins did during the Memorial Day holiday. I am proud to say, game well played," said Col. Warren Berry, 78th ABW commander. "Now I challenge you once again to reach the next plateau and make the plays needed to eliminate our opponent--energy waste." The savings were a 35 percent reduction in energy use compared to an average Robins' workday and a 16 percent reduction in comparison to energy usage during the 2007 Memorial Day holiday. "We surveyed the base Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day and found employees and supervisors understood the energy reduction message and took positive action to ensure lights and equipment were turned off," said Judah Bradley, 778th Civil Engineer Squadron project manager. "We had the lowest Memorial Day energy consumption since 2003." The results of the weekend prove that together Team Robins can meet the demands not only of the base's individual energy goals but the requirements of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Members of the base's energy team agree the first effort was a success, but encourages Team Robins to continue to conserve energy each day, not just during holidays. The energy team asks the community to make the effort everyday to conserve energy by turning off lights and computer screens, unplugging coffee pots and microwaves and looking for energy waste in personal areas. "We need to focus on identifying energy waste and take measures to eliminate it," Mr. Bradley said. If Robins continues to reduce energy consumption at the same rate or higher than the Memorial Day weekend during upcoming holidays and weekends, Robins could save 16 million kilowatt hours and approximately $1 million this year. "This is evidence that each individual can make a difference. Having said this, there is still more that can be done," said Randall Evans, 78th Air Base Wing change manager.