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Original Date: 05/01/2000
Revision Date: 01/18/2007
Information : Energy Management
Previously, Northrop Grumman Defensive Systems Division (DSD) lacked a formal energy management program. The company experienced recurring high energy costs of $4 million per year; funding limitations; and inadequate or insufficient Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) energy control capabilities. In 1994, Northrop Grumman DSD formed an Energy Management Committee to identify and implement strategies for reducing energy consumption without hindering ongoing business operations or compromising employee safety.
One of the Committee’s accomplishments was the use of Direct Digital Controls (DDCs) on air handlers, chillers, and boilers. DDCs enabled Northrop Grumman DSD to optimize equipment performance, extend the life of HVAC units, and provide centralized computer-based diagnosis of HVAC out-of-tolerance conditions for prompt action. In addition, the company participates in peak shaving on critical summer days. Peak shaving is a conservation energy program between Northrop Grumman DSD and its local power provider. On high-load days, the company is asked by the local power provider to reduce its energy draw off the grid by 500 kilowatts. To achieve this request, the company engages its local backup generators and reduces non-critical power usage (e.g., hallway lighting) at the facility. In return, the local power provider pays Northrop Grumman DSD a favorable rate for the power reduction off the grid.
Additional accomplishments include:
Installing occupancy sensors in conference rooms.
Using DDCs to turn off lights and HVAC equipment throughout the facility during non-business hours.
Purchasing and storing natural gas through a broker, allowing the company to realize an annual savings of $40,000 to $60,000 since 1995.
Retrofitting lighting with electronic ballasts and T-8 fluorescent lights, allowing the company to replace 40- watt, four-bulb fixtures with 32-watt, three-bulb fixtures without compromising light intensity.
The Energy Management Committee also wanted to provide initiatives that employees could use in their own household environment. As a result, the company provides articles and information (e.g., energy programs, energy saving hints) in its newsletters as well as on its Intranet website. During Energy Day, a spokesperson from an energy provider interacts with employees to answer their questions and promote education and awareness.
Since 1994, Northrop Grumman DSD’s cumulative actions on energy management have reduced its yearly energy demand by 7.7 million kilowatt-hours, producing an annual savings of $600,000 (Figure 2-5). Other projects being explored by the company include co-generation and partnering agreement actions with local utility companies designed to upgrade HVAC systems, minimize front-end investment costs, and maximize recurring energy costs. In 1999, Illinois became a deregulated state for electrical energy. After evaluating numerous electrical energy providers, Northrop Grumman DSD set up a multi-year contract with one provider which saves the site an additional $200,000 annually in electricity costs.
Figure 2-5. Accumulated Yearly Electrical Savings
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