Minot top in energy conservation, efficiency

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica McConnell
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  A member of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron here recently received a national award for his career achievements in energy conservation for the base and the Air Force as a whole.

Lawrence Johnson, 5th CES resource and efficiency manager, received the 2012 Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program Federal Energy and Water Management Award for his work in energy conservation, most notably, in the heat pump projects on and off base.

"I have designed projects on and off the base that have produced large energy savings and some of the most efficient buildings in the country," said Johnson. "I was instrumental in getting the heat plant on the base shut down and proving to the Air Force and the Corps of Engineers that heat pumps and energy recovery ventilation would produce some of the most efficient buildings."

Johnson said the Missile Alert Facilities are heat pumped, as are most of the dorms and many other buildings on base.

"The base has about one million square feet in area that is heat pumped, and that number is still going up," said Johnson. "Other bases are now following suit, but Minot is still the first in saving energy - I believe I can keep it that way."

Johnson said he likes puzzles and number games, which explains his interest and knack for finding energy hogs and fixing them to run more efficiently.

"I have found ten energy hogs on this base, which include old docks, the dining hall and the gym, just to name a few," said Johnson. "These buildings consume nearly 25 percent of all energy used at the base."

Johnson is passionate about his position as a resource manager and also believes that being efficient in what we do is ultimately what keeps this Air Force at the top.

"We have the best people and equipment here - it is the buildings and maintenance that are costing us," said Johnson. "If we do not run more efficiently, we will not remain the greatest power on Earth."

Johnson will be presented with the award in October of this year in Washington, D.C.

"It is great to be recognized on a national level for what you like to do," said Johnson. "Not many get that, and I am grateful."