SAN DIEGO – Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest was recognized, Oct. 8 in Washington D.C., with a 2021 Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Energy Award in the Technology Development Category.

The SECNAV Energy Excellence Awards Program annually recognizes excellence in the areas of energy security, new technology, innovation, program management, and efficiency across the Department of the Navy. This year’s submissions reflect the hard work and dedication of leaders across the Department who appreciate the importance of energy security and its influence on readiness, lethality, and modernization.

NAVFAC Southwest’s Public Works Energy and Acquisition Team awarded six Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) amounting to more than $43.2 million, between fiscal year 2017 and 2021. These projects will result in energy savings of approximately 125,000 MBTU’S and $3.2 million annually for the Department of Navy.

“The NAVFAC Southwest Energy and Acquisition Team have embraced these requirements and tackled the challenges head on to successfully improve the overall energy security posture in the Southwest AOR,” said Andrew Baughman, NAVFAC Southwest Energy Programs director. “From initial concept design, to project development and award, to construction and implementation, this team successfully awarded these complex projects in unprecedented timeframes. This was only possible due to great teamwork and coordination internally as well as with the SW Navy and USMC Installations along with outstanding relationships with our utility partners.”

These projects covered multiple Navy and Marine Corps installations with three separate regulated utility companies. The installations benefitting from these projects include Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division, Naval Air Station Lemoore, Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Seal Beach, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, and Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton. The contracted utility partners for these projects are San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Gas Company, and Southern California Edison.

These projects will implement various innovative technologies, which include a photovoltaic carport with electric voltage charging stations in conjunction with battery storage at NSWC Port Hueneme Division, water source heat pumps with resilient reclaimed water loop at MCAS Miramar, high efficiency dehumidification system for mission critical building at NWS Seal Beach, expansion of metering and facility related control systems at MCB Camp Pendleton, potable water resiliency and upgrade to solar thermal system for a Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at NAS Lemoore.

These projects are bundled with lighting retrofits and upgrades, HVAC and control system upgrades, recommissioning of various control systems, boiler upgrades and replacements, implementation of variable frequency drives, irrigation upgrades, and various other technologies to improve efficiencies and resiliency.

Statute and policy require all UESC projects to have economic viability, be cost effective, be for demand side management and conservation programs, and to include incentives from the utility. In addition, Navy policy requires that all energy projects meet the requirements outlined in “P-602 The 3 Pillars of Energy Security”. As a whole, these requirements can render project economics to be highly challenging, which can cause many projects a delay in project timelines. Incentives from the three utilities companies received includes extension of equipment warranties, performance assurance for specific technologies, and sustainment and maintenance services. The value of these incentives exceed $175,000.

To read the 2021 SECNAV Energy Excellence Award Winners announcement, please visit:

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/ALNAV/ALN2021/ALN21076.txt?ver=5Naxp3YTk8YZN-RoxX4wvg%3D%3D