Base to implement energy conserving temperature set points, anticipate big savings Published May 14, 2012 By Britton Young 72nd CE Energy Team TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Tinker continues to be one of the largest consumers of energy in the Air Force and in the area of electrical consumption, is falling behind federally mandated reduction goals. In October, Tinker Air Force Base Instruction 90-1701, Facility Infrastructure Energy Management, was published with the support of base leadership and AFGE Local 916 to define roles and responsibilities and to establish local regulations for energy management in order to improve our energy consumption trend. One of the key energy savings policies in the new energy instruction defines temperature set points for cooling season. It states that cooling system controls in all facilities with air conditioning will be set to maintain an average space temperature of 76ºF. More simply, if a facility has air conditioning, it will be kept at 76ºF. No exceptions will be made unless there is guidance (technical orders or other regulations) on climate considerations for special cases such as medical facilities, paint booths, labs, etc. Implementation will start with the open shop areas of Bldgs. 3001 and 9001. The 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Directorate will communicate with facility leadership and facility managers before these temperature changes are made. The 72nd ABW/CE anticipates energy savings of 2 to 3 percent for every degree the temperature is adjusted. For this effort to be successful, Team Tinker will need to make a few adjustments. The first is dressing for the temperature. Opt for lighter weight fabrics, shorter sleeves or other cooler options. Make sure all doors are closed, including hangar doors and overhead doors, when they do not need to be open. This ensures air conditioned air is not being sucked outside which makes buildings hotter and wastes energy. Be sure to turn off or unplug any fans or other devices when an area is unoccupied -- especially during nights and weekends. Together we can make a difference! Tinker AFBI 90-1701 can be viewed at http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/ shared/media/epubs/TINKERAFBI90-1701.pdf. Direct any questions to the Base Energy Team at 734-7222 or energy@tinker.af.mil.