NAVFAC FE PWD hosts energy fair

Photo By Paul Long | Tom Bawden, Energy Manager for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East’s Public Works Department (NAVFAC FE PWD), explains energy output to a Sullivan’s elementary school student during the Energy Fair, onboard Fleet Activities, Yokosuka Oct 18. NAVFAC FE PWD held the Energy Fair in conjunction with October being Energy Awareness Month. (Photo by Paul Long, FLEACT Yokosuka Public Affairs)  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

10.18.2013

Story by Paul Long 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East (NAVFAC FE) Public Works Department onboard Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, held an energy fair, adjacent to the Navy Exchange (NEX) and Commissary, Oct. 18.

For displays, PWD set up a booth with a solar panel, a bicycle hooked up to a generator and a battery charger, a household power usage chart, and a chart showing recently completed/current energy projects.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Arce Doble, a production officer with PWD, the fair is held in conjunction with October being Energy Awareness Month.

“We tried to make it fun,” Robles said. “We had a little barbeque and sumo wrestling match stuff, even though it’s not energy specific, it’s something to draw the crowds in.”

According to Doble, PWD partners with The Sullivans elementary school annual, during Energy Week, to meet with the children and discusses the solar panels atop the Navy Exchange.

This year, the children came outside to see model of those solar panels, and rode a bike to see how much power they could generate.

Tom Bawden, an energy manager with PWD, showed the children how much power they generated and how much power it took to run a variety consumer electronic devices found in most homes, such as computers and television sets.According to Bawden, conserving energy is easier than creating energy.

“Even though we had armies and armies of very energetic kids, it’s still tough to generate power for the high usage equipment like air conditioners,” said Bawden. “It’s far better to close off a room you’re not going to use, if you’ve got air-con or heating running, as simply save it rather than having it work hard when you’re not (in the room) to enjoy it.”

Bawden said they designed this year’s fair to be hands on.  The solar panel display generated 100 watts of power and gave the children an idea of what’s on the roof of the NEX.  He also said that the solar panels on the exchange’s roof generate 400 kilowatts of power per year, enough juice to power 20 million cell phones or heat 80 average sizes U.S. homes.

Bawden also said that the solar panel on the NEX roof has the added benefit of providing an extra layer of insulation for the roof, which keeps the building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter resulting in additional energy savings.

• Date Taken: 10.18.2013
• Date Posted: 11.01.2013 03:17
• Story ID: 116106
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP