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U.S. Army Garrison (USAG), Weisbaden, Germany

Strengthening the nation’s infrastructure overseas

When the European headquarters of the U.S. Army needed to cut energy use and costs while replacing aging infrastructure, lengthy delays and disruption was not an option. In the first Euro-financed Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) by Siemens Government Technologies, the U.S. Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM) in Wiesbaden, Germany, was able to reduce their energy intensity by accelerating investment in cost-effective energy conservation measures while incurring minimal capital costs.

Overview:

U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Wiesbaden in Germany is the headquarters of the U.S. Army in Europe and serves over 56,000 soldiers, family members, retirees, and civilian employees. The base consists of over 15 installations and housing areas, an airfield, and several enclaves in and around Wiesbaden.

Source: US Army

Challenge:

As one of the oldest U.S. military installations in Germany, USAG Wiesbaden needed to modernize its aging infrastructure to improve energy efficiency and resilience, reduce energy costs, and maintain mission readiness.

Solution:

The U.S. Army of Corp Engineers awarded an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) to Siemens Government Technologies to install, maintain and operate several energy conservation measures at USAG Wiesbaden.

Benefit:

Through the contract, USAG Wiesbaden will achieve a 51% reduction in energy costs, with more than €18 million in energy and operational savings over the 21-year performance period.

Unlocking New Energy Efficiency Improvements

Under the contract, SGT installed a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, high-efficiency boilers and integrated building management system (IBMS), multiple solar photovoltaic power arrays, and upgraded lighting to new, light-emitting diode or LED technology.

CHP Installation

With a CHP plant, USAG Wiesbaden is able to generate electricity onsite and capture the heat that would otherwise be wasted to provide useful thermal energy—such as steam or hot water—that can be used for space heating and cooling. Siemens Desigo CC IBMS links the central hot water facility, including boilers and the CHP, with the variable flow heating hot water pumping system to optimize distribution and produce low-cost electricity.

Onsite Photovoltaic System

The installation of multiple solar photovoltaic power arrays increases USAG Wiesbaden’s energy security. A distributed generation microgrid, the onsite solar photovoltaic system captures energy from the sun and turns it into electricity. It serves as an emergency backup source and can function independently of the gird to provide reliable power that can guarantee uptime for critical operations.

LED Lighting Improvements

LEDs use a fraction of the energy of typical lamps and have a significantly longer usable life. When LED lighting is used, not only does electricity use decline, the maintenance costs associated with changing bulbs also falls. At USAG Wiesbaden, SGT replaced existing fluorescent technologies with LEDs and advanced lighting controls. Combining LED energy efficiency, dimming capabilities, and long service life, the lighting upgrade offers new levels of performance and savings.

Project Financing

SGT and a team of experts from the Frankfurt Siemens office for Energy Efficiency implemented this work through an ESPC financed completely in euros by DZ Bank and United Financial in Illinois, representing the first time SGT has leveraged European currency to finance a U.S. federal project. ESPC’s provide an alternative financial mechanism which allows federal agencies to reduce their energy intensity and costs by accelerating investment in effective energy conservation measures while incurring no capital costs. USAG Wiesbaden’s €7.9 million investment in energy conservation measures, as well as the operations and maintenance of the conservation measures for the project term, is funded by the €18.0 million in guaranteed energy savings.

Over €18 Million in energy savings

The smart infrastructure modifications provided by SGT will save USAG Wiesbaden more than 6 trillion British Thermal Units over a 21-year performance period and serve as a foundation for energy security. In addition, the lighting upgrades will account for 51% energy savings over current lighting costs. At the completion of the project, USAG Wiesbaden will save more than €18 Million in energy and operational costs.

This project reinforces the importance of harnessing smart infrastructure technologies that can provide triple dividends for the U.S. military—cost savings, improved energy services, and enhanced energy security.

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