U.S. Army Fort Knox, Phase I Case Study

Overview

Fort Knox is home to more than 28,000 soldiers, employees, and family members. Despite $200M+ in past energy projects, the base still faced opportunities to cut costs, improve comfort, and modernize critical systems. In 2019, OPM awarded CEG a $58.1M ESPC to upgrade over 400 facilities, from single-room guard booths to large mission-critical operations. The challenge was to deliver aggressive savings and resiliency without disrupting base operations.

Solutions

CEG used advanced auditing tools, analyzing over 20M data points from 4,200 BAS control points and 150 loggers to identify retro-commissioning opportunities. Implemented ECMs included HVAC and controls upgrades in 201 buildings, LED retrofits in 280 buildings, domestic water upgrades in 438 facilities, variable speed pumping, and ground-source heat pump improvements. Mission-critical data center upgrades reduced PUE to ~1.2, improved cooling efficiency, and enabled future IT consolidation, all while complying with Army design and cybersecurity standards.

Results

The project is delivering $2.3M in verified annual savings, with $390K in first-year results and $11.1M expected over the contract term. Energy use was reduced by 118,223 MMBtu and water use by 50M gallons annually. Service calls for lighting at the 900,000 SF Human Resources Command declined by 90%, improving workflow and reducing O&M costs. Data center upgrades reduced PUE from ~1.5 to ~1.2, unlocking cooling capacity and resilience for long-term Army IT operations.

Project Highlights

• $58.1M ESPC across 400+ facilities
• $2.3M verified annual savings
• 118,223 MMBtu saved annually
• 50M gallons water saved annually
• PUE reduced from ~1.5 to ~1.2 at mission-critical data center
• $11.1M in lifecycle O&M savings
• 90% fewer lighting service calls at HRC HQ

Energy Conservation
Measures

• HVAC & controls upgrades in 201 buildings
• Domestic water upgrades in 438 buildings
• LED retrofits (50,000+ fixtures interior; exterior in 147 buildings)
• Data center HVAC & controls modernization
• Ground-source heat pump improvements
• Variable speed pumping systems
• Retro-commissioning across multiple facilities

Awards

• 2020 DOE Federal Energy & Water Management Award
• 2020 AEE Region III Energy Project of the Year (Midwest)
• 2019 Secretary of the Army Energy Award
• 2019 DOE Better Buildings Campaign Awards (multiple categories)