Offutt agencies extend customer service hours to reduce energy costs Published May 19, 2009 By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- What would you be willing to do to help conserve energy and reduce energy costs? Would you take shorter showers? Unplug every appliance in your home that's not in use? Maybe ride your bike to work? Would you be willing to work extended hours and shut down your entire work center 24 days a year? In an effort to conserve energy, Bldg. C, home to numerous administrative offices, including 55th Mission Support Group headquarters, military personnel customer service, the traffic management office and the finance office, is going green. Starting May 22 the building will close every other Friday. Many people may be wondering why Bldg. C would shut down for two days every month. The answer is simple; doing so will conserve energy and save Offutt thousands of dollars each year. Along with Bldg. C closing every other Friday, many organizations within its walls are seeking even more ways to save on energy costs. The 55th Comptroller Squadron is one organization that has taken several steps toward this goal. "We've replaced light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, implemented a plan to shut down computers at the end of each duty day and we ensure lights are off when not in use," said Maj Kevin L. Brummert, 55th CPTS commander. Conserving energy is something Major Brummert stressed is vital, not only to Offutt but for the United States as well. "Our nation cannot afford to not save energy given the increase in demand and limited resources we have," he said. With the Bldg. C closure every other Friday, the personnel who work there will work a combination of eight, nine, and 10-hour days each week to ensure their customers' needs are met. Many offices in Bldg. C will have new operating hours to coincide with the Friday closures. The new hours for each office are listed below: Finance; Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Traffic Management Office; Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Military Personnel Customer Service; Mon/Wed/Fri 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tue/Thur 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. These offices will be closed May 22, June 5, June 19 and so on. For more information about hours of operation and days of business, please call the individual customer service elements of each agency. Building C's planned Friday closure is not Offutt's first effort to conserve energy or become more environmentally friendly. Since 2008, with the opening of the Air Force Weather Agency Headquarters building, Offutt has a facility designed to use less energy on a daily basis. The AFWA facility consumes 50 - 60 percent less energy than typical office buildings of its size. The building also reduces water consumption by 20 percent and was built with 10 percent recycled materials. Furthermore, AFWA personnel utilize an old runway as a parking lot. By doing so, they can accommodate 800 cars, saving Offutt thousands of dollars to build a parking lot. Another organization at Offutt actively seeking to cut energy costs is the 55th Communications Group. According to Staff Sgt. Andrew K. Dewey, project manager for the 55th Communications Squadron, the group has launched a two-front attack on energy savings focusing on work schedules and network operations. "Our primary focus for network operations has been shutting down computers and other peripherals when not in use," Sergeant Dewey said. The average user has his or her computer on for a minimum of 14 hours a day without it being used, which makes them susceptible to security risks. "Computers left on overnight continue to receive network traffic and therefore are vulnerable to possible exploitation," Sergeant Dewey explained, "by shutting computers down, the 55th CG is saving money, reducing energy and enhancing network security." Shutting down computers and other office equipment at the end of each duty day could save Offutt $120,000 annually, which is 49 percent of the base's energy saving goal, said Col. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander. According to "USA Today," leaving computers on overnight costs $2.8 billion every year. Powering down one-billion computers for one night would save enough energy to power the Empire State Building for 30 years. Along with shutting down computers and related equipment when not in use, the 55th CG has been using a compressed work schedule for the past year. A change that has saved 672 Mega British Thermal Units, Sergeant Dewey added. An MBTU is a standardized way of measuring energy consumption. He said 672 MBTU's are equivalent to 196,000 kilowatt hours a year or 5,609 gallons of gas. With its energy saving initiatives, Team Offutt is committed to energy conservation. Every day brings another opportunity to reduce energy costs and achieve mission success. Check the 55th Wing Web site at www.offutt.af.mil frequently for details on energy saving initiatives and programs.