GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – The U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Energy Management Team inspected a small arms range at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Feb. 8. This survey is part of a larger effort to maximize energy efficiency across the USAG Bavaria footprint.

Paul Hlawatsch, energy manager at USAG Bavaria, said identifying and finding solutions to inefficiencies in the USAG Bavaria footprint would reduce hundreds of thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs per year.

“We are looking for ways to innovate and find solutions to energy inefficiencies around our facilities,” Hlawatsch said. “We always identify wasted energy. By finding a solution to this, we can save money and reduce CO2 emissions. »

During the investigation, the team of professionals examined pop-up targets on a range of small arms.

According to Bayer Dieter, Peripheral Equipment Operator for Tower Barracks, pop-up targets are heated by heating coils, allowing a weapon system’s thermal and infrared optics to correctly identify a target. The 155 heaters in this range currently operate non-stop 365 days of the year, to support critical training at all times.

As a result of the investigation, the team proposed and submitted a solution to install a master switch that can turn systems on and off from the range control area. This change will result in estimated annual savings of more than $34,000 and a reduction of more than 150,000 pounds of CO2 emissions each year. Installing this main switch would result in a payback period of one month.

This solution will meet the mission critical needs of providing units with access to critical range operations at short notice, while also meeting the requirements for reduced power generation and emissions.

“Our garrison is the base of preparation and the key to mission success,” said Col. Christopher Danbeck, USAG Bavaria Garrison Commander. “Our priority is to provide a world-class training environment that strengthens our preparation. We must also focus on efficiency, resilience and our duty to reduce our energy consumption. Finding a way to do both is key, and that’s what’s happening here in Bavaria right now.

Additionally, the energy management team has identified 154 other heated systems across different ranges in the Grafenwoehr training area. Installing master switches in the training area for these heating systems will result in additional annual savings of more than $18,000 in energy costs and a reduction of nearly 80,000 pounds of CO2 emissions.

“I am optimistic that we will continue to find, solve and improve how we manage energy at our facilities,” Hlawatsch said. “We encourage everyone in the community to contact and report any potential energy or water waste so we can identify it and work on a solution.”

The main switch for the first 155 heating systems will be installed in the third fiscal quarter of 2022.