Energy conservation is a priority at Warren Published Nov. 4, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Dan Gage 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYO. -- October may be over, and with it, Energy Awareness Month; but energy conservation is a year-long concern at F. E. Warren and throughout the Air Force. Members of the 90th Civil Engineer Squadron's Energy Management Control Systems, are constantly looking for ways Warren can reduce energy usage across the base. In 1995, EMCS began installing the WebCTRL system, which is a program that makes Warren stand out in energy conservation; not only in Air Force Global Strike Command, but throughout the Air Force itself. "Our goal is to save energy," said Debby Followell, Energy Management Control Systems Foreman. "We truly are the best in the Air Force." The control system was built in-house and allows EMCS to operate with only three technicians in the work center. With webCTRL, members of EMCS can monitor the energy use of the base and see problems arising in real time. If there is an issue in a building, EMCS operators can see the problem and help direct maintenance workers to the area causing the issue. "We know there's an issue before the customer does," said Ms. Followell. "This system monitors 130 buildings and controls 12,000 points of energy use on base," she added. "If someone is using a space heater, we can see it." Throughout these buildings, night cycles of energy use have been implemented, cutting consumption by up to 23 percent. To further energy savings, building's climates are controlled down to the individual room based on use. Rooms used for storage are kept at a cooler temperature to conserve energy and areas where people work are equipped with motion sensors. The motion sensors have the ability to shut off lights and heat when the room is not being used for extended periods. EMCS also monitors weather on base, using the information gathered to adjust energy usage and watering cycles on base. The EMCS foreman can control watering by repetition and duration, based on the needs of different areas on base. Ms. Followell said she has plans to raise awareness of energy usage on base next year through the use of competitions between squadrons. Winners could be determined based on overall energy use or reduction in use over a period of time, Ms. Followell explained.