Over the course of the four-day Better Buildings Challenge SWAP, the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy energy teams found several opportunities to help the other team save energy on their campus. Read more about what the teams learned from each other and take away a few energy saving tips from the experts at the U.S. Air Force and Naval Academies.
- Replace single pane glass windows.
- Turn off ventilation systems for kitchen equipment (hoods and warmers) when equipment are not on.
- Convert to LED lighting.
- Install solar panels to produce electricity for the campus; leverage flat and flexible solar panel options to work with different surfaces and spaces on campus.
- Unplug electronics when not in use to reduce the plug loads in dorm rooms.
- Take advantage of natural light by turning off decorative lights near window walls.
- Implement individual controls for heating and cooling to better manage comfort level and energy use.
- Recycle plastics and recyclable materials to recover the energy used to produce the materials.
- Upgrade HVAC to eliminate condensation on units.
- Focus on behavior change among students and faculty to take steps like turning off lights to increase energy efficiency.
- Turn off lights and un-plug loads in classrooms when not in use.
- Reduce heat transfer coming in through the old single pane windows. If replacing the windows is not feasible, find a creative solution like building a separate internal glass wall that separates the existing exterior of the building from the interior.
- Set back the temperature in locations when they are not in use
- Take advantage of natural light; turn off lights near windows.
- Turn down the temperature on refrigeration systems that are too cold resulting in frost building on the outside of the doors.
- Fix doors on food warming cabinet so it properly closes and keep warm air inside.
- Consider/Use a biodigester system to turn food waste into energy for the grid and compost for local farmers.
- Install green roofs on flat surfaces when possible to provide an extra layer of insulation for the building and protect the roof for years longer.