October is National Energy Action Month Published Oct. 3, 2022 By Mr. Artemiz Avci 39th Civil Engineer Squadron INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- The month of October is recognized as “Energy Action Month” throughout U.S. government agencies including the Air Force. Energy Action Month is a reminder of the importance how energy plays in the Air Force’s mission. Incirlik Air Base needs to meet Department of Energy goals. Reduction of energy and water consumption throughout the Department of Defense was officially mandated by U.S. Federal Law. Executive Order 13834, Efficient Federal Operations, mandates that energy consumption must be reduced 25% by 2025 (baseline year FY15), and water consumption must be reduced 36% by 2025 (baseline year FY07). Meeting energy goals may not be easy, which means we need to closely monitor our progress and come up with more projects to reduce our consumption. The 39th Air Base Wing has several energy efficient projects currently in progress and programmed for the future that will help reduce consumption such as replacing non-efficient lights to new technology efficient lights and replacing deteriorated water lines. Despite all these projects in place to help Incirlik save energy and water, we still need everyone’s participation to assist in this effort. The primary focus should be people-related conservation practices. We want to make water and energy savings a habit for everybody every day. It is the simple things that help a lot. Bottom line, we need to change our culture to make energy conservation a success. We are losing the resources in the world, and we need to be more aware of this and act accordingly. We need to think about the future, and not just today. Saving energy now will help our children in years to come. Energy conservation must be a habit for everybody. Simply turning off unnecessary lights and the water faucet when shaving or brushing teeth can save a lot. There is cause and effect that goes on there, whether you see it at first or not. Do your part to conserve energy! How you can save energy every day: turn it down when you can. Turn off office lights when you leave at night Use natural lighting or day lighting. Turn off lights near windows Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it, to directly illuminate work areas Unplug equipment that drains energy when not in use (i.e., cell phone chargers, fans, coffeemakers, desktop printers, radios, etc.) Keep doors and windows closed when the heat is on Prevent cool air from seeping in through old weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows Turn off all outside lights during daylight hours Run full loads in dishwashers and clothes washers We are just trying to make people more aware of the energy consumption. We're always looking at trying to find the next best way to save energy. We must have energy conservation in mind with everything we do, and that is the bottom line. October is the national energy action month, but our campaign should last all year.