MARINE CORPS BASE CMAP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- A presidential proclamation marks October as Energy Awareness Month, a time to think about and renew efforts to manage energy use throughout the country.
Members of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune community can do their part to assist the nationwide effort by lowering energy consumption both at home and at work.
“At home, people should focus on the simple things,” said Thomas Burton, an energy engineer with Camp Lejeune’s Public Works Division.
Simple tasks like turning off lights, computers, televisions and other electronics while they are not in use, not only saves money, but makes people more efficient energy consumers, said Burton.
Using heating and air conditioners conscientiously also helps lower a home’s energy usage. People can do this by managing the temperature, shutting doors and windows while heating or air conditioning is on and ensuring the heat or air conditioning is off when they are not home, Burton added.
At the workplace, people can take a similar approach.
“Much like at home, people should focus on turning off unused devices,” said Burton. “If you have a good amount of daylight from windows, consider turning off the lights in your office.”
Energy conservation efforts are a staple aboard base. Through infrastructure improvements, steam decentralization, lighting upgrades and a variety of other energy saving methods, Camp Lejeune is on a path to meeting a goal of reducing energy usage and has succeeded with a 15 percent reduction since 2003, said Burton.
“Efficient use of energy resources will benefit the environment, and by reducing the utility expenses, money may be reprogrammed to other priorities,” said Burton.
Although infrastructure changes play a big role in energy consumption, much of the power lays in the actions of everyday energy consumers.
“Energy conservation is the right thing to do, it saves money, and every little action by every individual makes a difference,” said Burton.
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