75th Medical Group wins energy award Published Dec. 8, 2011 By Dave Abbott 75th Civil Engineering Squadron HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- On Friday, Nov. 18 at the Hill AFB Energy Management Steering Group, Col. Kathryn Kolbe, 75th Air Base Wing vice commander, awarded the 75th Medical Group with the annual Energy Champion Award. The 75th MDG, under the direction of Col. Don Hickman and Facility Maintenance Manager James Dowdy, have led their team of medics and taken specific positive actions to become more energy efficient as an organization. Working directly through the Air Force Medical Support Agency they have secured funding for facility energy efficiency upgrades this fiscal year alone that included installation of upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls, hot water boilers and recirculation pumps. As a certified medical facility they have instituted strict temperature set-points and programmed their in-house energy management and control system to account for night/weekend set-back temperatures all while maintaining a comfortable environment for their customers. These efforts alone have realized 3,236 MBTUs and $92,000 in annual cost savings according to Dave Abbott, Hill AFB Energy/Utility manager. To further their energy and cost reduction goals they've become a partner in the Department of Energy's "Energy Star Program" to assist in benchmarking their facility energy use and make continued measurable progress. The efforts of the entire 75th Medical Group are just one example of "Team Hill" at its best. For their efforts the 75th Medical Group is recognized as the Financial Year 2011 Hill AFB Energy Champion for the contributions that they have made to make "Team Hill" a shining example of excellent energy and environmental stewardship in the US Air Force and the Department of Defense.