Ogden ALC earns energy management certification, works to heighten energy awareness

  • Published
  • By Alex R. Lloyd
  • Ogden Air Logistics Complex

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- As the largest energy user on Hill Air Force Base, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex has been working hard to lower that demand and recently became only the second U .S. government organization to receive ISO 50001 energy management certification, and the first to include energy resiliency as part of its energy management system.

The International Organizations for Standardization has developed and published over 22,800 standards ranging from the how many threads are on a screw, to the management of entire facilities. ISO created the standard for energy management and continuous energy improvement.

On the surface, this certification might not sound like anything more than turning off lights when they are not in use, but in fact, it goes much farther than most of us can imagine as the stringent requirements go even beyond energy efficiency upgrades.

The certification requires a comprehensive effort across the entire Complex to reduce demand and foster energy assurance and resiliency and includes new energy mandates on operations, maintenance, procurement and design of new equipment and facilities.

“The ALC passed its recent ISO 50001 audit with flying colors and received only three non-conformances. From a benchmarking standpoint, having only three in your very first audit puts you at the very top-top of industry,” said Rob Ellis, lead auditor for the certification body.

This certification is the culmination of two years of effort by the Ogden ALC energy team and after the excitement of achieving this milestone, they are ready to utilize the newly established energy management system to improve energy resiliency, increase energy efficiency and establish a culture of energy awareness.

In the coming year, the Ogden ALC will transition to a revised version of the ISO 50001 standard that includes a requirement for a rigorously normalized energy model. This is something the ALC was already doing to enable more accurate tracking of energy performance and requires a level of strategic planning that was absent from the previous version.

In preparation for an external audit in June 2020, the complex will perform an internal audit this month to ensure that it meets the rigor of the revised version of the ISO-50001 standard.

Also, during the upcoming year, the Ogden ALC energy team will complete a strategic energy assurance plan, improve energy metering, and increase energy efficiency.

As part of the planning process, the ALC has an energy management goal to receive fifty energy-related suggestions from all parts of the complex.

If you have an energy saving idea, please submit them at https://apps-hedc.hill.af.mil/anonymousOO/.