Photo By Sgt. Melissa Lee | Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., uses reclaimed water to irrigate gardens and...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – New technology is being used to generate power, make buildings more energy-efficient and conserve water and fossil fuels aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
MCAS Miramar is working to become self-sufficient and environmentally friendly through the use of green energy.
The air station is currently surpassing federal mandates by creating an energy grid independent from San Diego General Electric. This will ensure operations can still run aboard the installation in the case of a black-out.
“It is extremely important for the military and the Marine Corps to meet federal mandates that were set upon us,” said Mick Wasco, an engineer with the Public Works Center. “One of the biggest challenges was powering our installation with 50 percent renewable energy.”
Solar energy is one of the biggest ways used to cut back on fossil fuel consumption. This renewable energy is now being used to cool buildings, heat the Combat Training Tank and generate energy for streetlights. Solar panels have also been installed above parking lots, on roofs of buildings and connected to street signs to maximize the electrical output installation-wide.
Some buildings aboard the air station currently use a chill water plant system that cools water at night and stores it for use during the day to run the air conditioning. New technology will also be implemented to electronically tint windows using sunlight to keep solar heat out and cut back on the amount of electricity used to cool buildings.
A reclaimed water system is currently in place as well to provide water for plumbing and irrigation. Reclaimed water systems collect water and clean it to standards that are safe to use in irrigation and plumbing.
“Water conservation is also a federal mandate,” said Wasco. “Since we began to use the reclaimed water system we have cut back by 30 percent on potable water used on the air station.”
Many efforts have been made to conserve energy and water to make MCAS Miramar a more efficient and environmentally friendly place. The power generated at the landfill will be on-line, June 14, and will power up to 51 percent of the installation.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2012 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 88512 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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