Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

Energy-efficient light bulbs save DoD $11M

The Defense Department is projected to save $11 million in energy costs by switching out incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent alternatives at 84 military bases, the Energy Department said today.

Through a partnership between the two departments dubbed Operation Change Out, the Pentagon installed more than 359,000 compact florescent bulbs in nearly 41,000 military houses between April and October.

The more efficient bulbs are expected to save more than 100 million kilowatt hours over the life of the bulbs, translating to a net savings of $11 million in energy bills. The new bulbs also will prevent the emissions of more than 150 million pounds of carbon dioxide.

Fort Drum in New York alone changed 106,000 bulbs, more than any other participating base. Camp Lejeune in North Carolina changed out 19,000 bulbs in nearly 5,000 public and private housing units, far surpassing its goal of replacing at least one bulb in each of 3,500 government-owned houses.

In addition, base commissary and exchange stores are seeing significant increases in the sale of light bulbs certified by the federal Energy Star program, signifying that people are changing out bulbs on their own. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service reported a 290 percent increase in the sale of compact fluorescent bulbs compared with the previous year.

Tell us what you think. E-mail Tim Kauffman.