CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan --
When
entering Camp Foster through Gate 1, commuters are immediately greeted by a
large, white wind turbine.
This
towering structure, which rarely receives a second glance, plays a crucial role
in Marine Corps Installations Pacific’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint.
The
turbine was built in June 2013 to utilize the Okinawa winds as a renewable
source of energy.
“We
had the turbine built as a way to experiment with different forms of renewable
energy,” said Tomoko Matsuzaki, an energy engineer with facilities engineers, Facilities,
MCIPAC-Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan. “We’re always looking for new ways
to create cleaner energy.”
Instead
of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make
electricity, according to Matsuzaki. The wind turns the blades, which spin a
shaft connected to a generator that creates electricity.
The
6,000 kilowatt-hours generated per year by the turbine directly supplies the
MCIPAC Headquarters building’s power panel and provides enough energy to
support the lighting of an entire floor.
The
turbine plays a crucial role in the Corps’ mission to be ecofriendly and represents
just one of many ways MCB Camp Butler is working to reduce energy costs and increase
the use of green energy, according to Matsuzaki. The best way to reduce
MCIPAC’s carbon footprint however, is to reduce the amount of energy it uses.
“It’s
important we reduce the amount of energy we use before we try to find new ways
to generate energy,” said Matsuzaki. “That starts by doing simple things in the
office such as unplugging the printer at the end of each day.”
To
help spread the word and ensure a more energy efficient work environment, the
Marine Corps released Marine administrative message 114/15. The document
established the Unit Energy Management Program, which requires every command in
the Marine Corps to appoint a unit energy manager to each unit aboard its
installations. It is up to the energy manager to initiate, promote and
supervise a more ecofriendly work environment.
“It
becomes more of a mindset, rather than another (responsibility) in your career,”
said Gunnery Sgt. Donald E. Current, the unit energy manager and staff noncommissioned
officer in charge of the Outside Plant, North for G-6, communications, Telephone
Systems Branch. “Most of what I do is educating the (service members in the)
buildings I visit throughout the day about energy conservation.”
Current
accomplishes this by simply making people aware of the amount of energy they
are using.
“For example, if you walk into a room and you
see that (an office has) several monitors on without people in front of them,
ask questions (about it),” said Current. “That makes them more aware of (how
much energy they’re wasting).”
Other
effective ways to be more energy efficient include shutting off the overhead office
lights and allowing natural light into the workplace and implementing a daily checklists,
which ensures nonessential electronic equipment and lights are shut off at the
end of each day.
According
to Matsuzaki, energy conservation starts with individual effort and every
little step towards conserving energy goes a long way toward making the Marine
Corps a more efficient fighting force.