WALLOPS CDA Station's Environmental Management System Finds Large Savings in Green Operations

Wallops One-Page Information Sheet

Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS) near Chincoteague, Virginia

With funding from a 2010 NOAA Green Mini-Grant of $12,200 staff at the Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS), implemented energy-saving procedures and equipment that will reduce the facility's annual electric consumption by 14% from 2009 to 2010, a projected savings of approximately $60,000 per year.

Located near Chincoteague, Virginia, the staff members at the WCDAS are responsible for recovering and delivering data from NOAA's environmental satellites on a 24x7 basis. This includes command and data acquisitions from NOAA's geostationary (GEOS) and polar-orbiting (POES) satellites, and international cooperative missions such as the JASON-2, COSMIC, and MeteoSat. WCDAS is one of two NOAA command and data acquisition stations. The other site is in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The NOAA Green Mini-Grant Program has been administered by the NOAA Office of the Chief Administration Officer since 2009. Carbon footprint reduction, energy efficiency, toxic reductions, recycling, water conservation and sustainability are some of the targeted areas for innovative ways to showcase NOAA's reduced impact on the environment. Requests for "greening" proposals are solicited annually and require 50% cost sharing by the recipient or line office.

How did the staff at WCDAS do it? Beginning with their Environmental Policy Statement , the staff developed an Environmental Management System (EMS) to review and track all relevant activities at their operating stations with a commitment toward reducing its impact on the environment. EMS refers to the management of an organization's programs in a comprehensive and well documented manner that includes planning and applying "greening" efforts to conserve energy and resources.

The WCDAS staff immediately implemented a number of energy saving measures: installation of energy-efficient chillers that provide necessary cooling for their satellite data center, energy-efficient dehydrators which provide pressurized dry air for antenna system wave guides, turning off high-intensity antenna work lights when not in use, motion detection light switches, tankless water heaters, hands-free towel dispensers, and low-flow faucets.

The group plans more ambitious conservation and efficiency targets for 2011: de-energizing spare Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA's) in six of the Station's eleven antenna systems for a projected savings of approximately 210,000 kilowatt hours (or $20,000.00) per year, turning off non-essential air handling units during nights and weekends using the Station's existing automation control system, and shutting off non-essential computers during nights and weekends using automated energy management software.

"This has been, and continues to be, a team effort. EMS is Everyone's Management System," states Stephen Howard, Support Branch Chief and Facilities Engineer at WCDAS. Members of the WCDAS EMS Team include: Ajay Mehta, Doug Crawford, Gregg Frostrom, Albert McMath, Bob Clark, and Bonnie Crawford.

The NOAA Green Mini-Grant Program is in response to Executive Order 13423 & 13514, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Please contact A John Gironda, NESDIS Environmental Compliance, Heath and Safety Officer by email or phone 301-713-9208 for more information.

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