The Los Angeles Air Force Base began implementing energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy measures on March 7 that will help cut energy use by about 17 percent and generate an estimated average of $800,000 in annual savings over the course of a 23-year self-funding agreement with defense contractor Honeywell Building Solutions.

Combined, the project will reduce Los Angeles Air Force Base’s annual energy consumption by nearly 5.5 million kWh – enough energy to power nearly 240 homes for a year.

The project is part of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) awarded by the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

Under the contract, Honeywell guarantees the improvements will generate enough energy savings to pay for the work, so the Air Force will not need an initial capital investment. Over the contract term, the project is self-funding.

Based in El Segundo, California, Los Angeles Air Force Base is home to the headquarters of the Space and Missile Systems Center, which is part of the Air Force Space Command The base is the only active-duty installation in the greater Los Angeles area, and serves nearly 5,000 personnel.

The Honeywell project includes facility upgrades at 31 base buildings at both Los Angeles AFB and Fort MacArthur, an affiliated location 20 miles away in San Pedro, comprising housing and administrative facilities.

As part of the program, Honeywell will install 3,400 rooftop solar photovoltaic modules on four buildings, which will generate 1,275 kw of power — enough to cover nearly 10 percent of the base’s energy needs.

Other improvements will include:

• Lighting upgrades, including the replacement of existing fluorescent and incandescent lighting fixtures with more energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs at all locations, as well as the addition of occupancy sensors for local lighting control.
• New rooftop air conditioning units, including the installation of 14 new high-efficiency units and temperature control upgrades.
• Smart irrigation controls to replace existing manual controls at Fort MacArthur with new automated controllers for improved water conservation.
• Overall building energy improvements, including new solar reflective window film at seven buildings for improved temperature control and energy conservation.

“Military installations like Los Angeles Air Force Base play a critical role for those they serve and the broader community, but tackling important infrastructure needs is just one item in a long list of responsibilities,” said John Rajchert, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “Performance contracts are viable tools for addressing infrastructure issues in often tough budgetary environments so bases can continue to operate at the highest possible level.”

Honeywell and the Air Force expect to complete the project by early 2018.

“As a critical location for the U.S. Air Force, we strive to ensure the services we provide meet the highest standards of excellence, and the same should be said of our building infrastructure,” said Ed Wilson, Energy manager, Los Angeles Air Force Base. “This project is a way for us to keep base facilities operating optimally and in the most environmentally and budget-sound way possible.”

Honeywell and the Air Force expect to complete the project by early 2018.