by Shane Henson — January 13, 2012—As part of the U.S. Army’s efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings, the organization recently awarded Johnson Controls a federal contract for a solar energy installation and other energy efficiency improvements at Fort Bliss, the largest military installation in the Department of Defense, located in West Texas and New Mexico. According to Army officials, the nearly $16 million project, executed through the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is expected to save the post $39 million in energy costs over the next 24 years.
Fort Bliss is the first to respond to President Barack Obama’s directive calling on federal agencies to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years using Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC). This is also the first Army project to take advantage of a federal renewable energy tax credit, which totaled $1.87 million. The project also supports the Army’s renewable energy goals.
Under the agreement, energy efficiency improvements will be installed at Fort Bliss with no up-front costs to the government. The cost of the improvements will be paid for over time with energy costs saved on utility bills. Johnson Controls, a global technology and industrial leader, will guarantee the energy savings.
Also under the Fort Bliss project, the Army will purchase the renewable energy produced by the 5,500 solar panels without owning or maintaining the equipment. In addition to the solar energy installation, the project will include new utility monitoring and control systems to manage energy at 120 buildings, a program to reduce electricity use during peak demand periods, and other improvements to make Fort Bliss more energy efficient. Together, these measures are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 1,280 vehicles from the road annually or planting 1,400 acres of pine forest each year.
