Ribbon cutting highlights partnership

Photo By Mark Olsen | John D. Foster creates a digital image from photos taken by a 3D laser scanner of a New Jersey Army National Guard armory at the Sustainable Facilities Center at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J., Nov. 19, 2019. Rowan University faculty, staff, and students at the Sustainable Facilities Center are helping NJDMAVA and the New Jersey Army National Guard to efficiently operate their facilities by reducing pollution and cutting costs by saving energy and water. (New Jersey National Guard photo by Mark C. Olsen)  

GLASSBORO, NJ, UNITED STATES

11.20.2019

Story by Mark Olsen  

New Jersey National Guard   

The award-winning partnership between the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA), the New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG), and the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University is unique as it is innovative.
That innovation was highlighted on Nov. 19, 2019 during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Sustainable Facilities Center (SFC) at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University located in Glassboro, New Jersey.
“The partnership between Rowan University and NJDMAVA is an innovative approach to sustainment, modernization, and restoration of the NJARNG’s real property inventory,” said U.S. Army Maj. Jeanne M. Falchek, Planning and Programming Chief, Construction and Facilities Management Office, New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
“Our collaboration allows for the Army Guard to fulfill federal and state requirements while offering students the opportunity to learn and contribute to real world projects. The students provide new insight and outside the box thinking while working on NJDMAVA projects, that often result in reductions in energy use, cost savings, and preventative maintenance efficiencies,” said Falchek.
The NJARNG-Rowan partnership began 10 years ago as an idea by Bill Mangan and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom Comyack, both with NJDMAVA’s Construction and Facilities Management Office, to be proactive in meeting new sustainability goals set forth by the Department of Defense. This lead to NJDMAVA reaching out to various New Jersey state colleges and universities to see if anyone could help tackle these new challenges.
The staff at Rowan University’s College of Engineering saw this as an opportunity for their students who began performing energy audits, as well as solar and wind assessments. The program proved successful and evolved into a formalized 10-year agreement to conduct comprehensive building energy audits for NJARNG armories and other facilities.
“The NJARNG facilities portfolio consists of 1.95 million square feet of real estate including 70 buildings, among them are vehicle maintenance facilities and 28 armories. Most of the buildings are 60-70 years old and designed for full-time usage,” said Falchek. “As the NJARNG mission changes, so do our needs for high-tech facilities to train our Soldiers.”
Since 2012, the intern programs have grown to include energy planning, building information modeling, facility condition assessments, and facilities management – all in an effort to improve property management and provide learning opportunities for the students.
“The Rowan University Intern Programs provides us with both continuity and a fresh perspective with each new class,” said Falchek. “The NJARNG and Rowan University partnership has been extremely effective at reducing, or avoiding costs of projects and deliverables that would otherwise require costly architecture or engineering services and contracts.”
Students evaluate NJARNG facilities to determine ways to make the buidings more efficient and more resilient.
All these efforts are focused in helping the NJARNG become a more sustainable and mission ready force.
Those efforts are paying off.
The energy audits conducted by the Rowan students, which include energy modeling with software, cost less than 14 cents per square foot versus the typical industry cost of 25 cents per square foot.
Many of the technical studies, documents, and formal reports developed could cost from $100,000 to $150,000 from an architecture or engineering firm, but the Center is doing these projects within the constraints of its established funding.
And the NJARNG-Rowan collaboration is being recognized.
On Dec. 5, 2019, the Department of the Army will recognize the winners of the 2019 Army Community Partnership Awards at a ceremony in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, the NJARNG-Rowan partnership will be receiving one of those awards.
"This is exciting news for the Army and for our community partners” said Alex Beehler, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “Our partners help us enhance readiness, create efficiencies and modernize our Army. We thank them for all they do."
This isn’t the first time the NJARNG-Rowan partnership has received this award.
Back in 2016, at a similar ceremony in the Hall of Heroes, the NJARNG and Rowan University were recognized for forming one of the five best Army community partnerships in the nation. That same year, they were also honored by the U.S. Department of Energy with the Federal Energy and Water Management Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Back at the ribbon cutting ceremony, Falchek sums up the partnership.
“This a proud, joyous moment for everyone and we look forward to the continued success of the Center and our partnership with Rowan University.”

• Date Taken: 11.20.2019
• Date Posted: 11.20.2019 14:58
• Story ID: 352641
• Location: GLASSBORO, NJ, US