Lajes officials take step toward solar power

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
As part of the Air Force officials' renewable energy initiative, members of the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron have taken a step toward saving taxpayers money after installing and testing their first solar energy-producing panels in a military family housing unit Feb. 22 here.

The panel unit costs about $5,000 with a six-year maintenance guarantee and is estimated to save a housing unit hundreds of dollars a year in electric power consumption, according to the 65th CES officials.

"The Air Force is required to obtain 30 percent of its hot water from solar heating where cost effective, and our research shows that this system we have selected will yield significant savings over its lifetime," said Sandra Mota, the solar power installation project engineer with the 65th CES. "Each system will save us around $466 per year. They also have a payback of less than 10 years and a life expectancy of 25 years."

Given the weather conditions, especially in the summer, the project officials said the test-run project is the best fit for Lajes Field.

The system collects radiation from the sun, even on cloudy or rainy days, Mrs. Mota said.

She described the new solar panels as a very safe and efficient system because it doesn't hinder the operations of the traditional electric heater system, in case there's insufficient radiation to heat the water to the desired temperatures.

"The conventional electric heater kicks in to compensate so that the end user is never without hot water," Mrs. Mota said. The equipment is also marine-grade guaranteed to survive our island environment."

This project is the 65th CES's pilot test and plans are in place to eventually solar units installed in all military family housing units during the next few years.

"Our price per (kilowatt hour) on the island is around $0.17, so every ray of sunshine captured is one less (kilowatt) we pay for," Mrs. Mota said. "Our (kilowatt hour) consumption is reportable to (United States Air Forces in Europe) on a quarterly basis and Lajes (Field) has a tradition of showing record reductions in energy savings throughout the Air Force. This endeavor will help us maintain that tradition in years to come."

In the future, there are plans in place to install the solar system at high-use facilities like the dorms, swimming pool and the fitness center, she said.

"We have a very diligent energy management team, led by Ms. Lerena Duarte, who is always on the lookout for new technologies to bring Lajes (Field) closer to Air Force goals as far as renewable energy is concerned," Mrs. Mota said.