Energy Technology Bulletin

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Energy AwarenessPROGRAM PURPOSE

The purpose of an energy awareness program isto eliminate energy waste by making energy usersmore energy conscious. That is, an awarenessprogram attempts to alter the attitudes of energyusers and, through those changed attitudes, to changetheir behavior as well. An effective program targetsspecific audiences, involves as many energy users aspossible, is widely publicized, and makes energy-saving actions and goals as concrete as possible. Alist of past DoD awareness projects appears inAppendix M. Sources of additional awareness ideasand information appear in Appendix N.

Awareness works through publicity and training.The program should be continuous - and fun.Because nobody likes to be told what to do, a goodawareness program avoids a preachy, moralisticapproach. Instead, it concentrates on reinforcingopinions that most energy users already hold: energyefficiency reduces pollution, it reduces dependence onoil imports, and it reduces costs. The program alsoadds information on exactly how to achieve thoseresults. A subsidiary, but important, message is thatenergy efficiency does not mean doing withoutenergy, it means achieving the same results usingless. We no longer need to preach the virtues ofwearing sweaters and taking shorter showers; energyusers want bright, adequately heated and cooledspaces, but at less cost.

Awareness is the essential foundation for aninstallation's energy program. First, it helps tochange attitudes, thus encouraging users to seek outways to save energy. Second, it changes behaviors,making sure that energy users take energy-savingactions and continue to use and maintain energy-saving equipment after it has been installed. That is,energy awareness helps to increase the .persistence"of energy-savings projects so that they continue toreap savings year after year. Third, under Energy2005, the initial savings from awareness provide theseed money for higher-cost energy-savinginvestments.

AWARENESS BASICS

A good awareness program explains energyefficiency in simple terms, not because installationpersonnel cannot understand more complex messages- they will if they are interested enough - but becausea simple message competes more effectively with themultitude of other messages being broadcast toenergy users. The awareness program must tell userswhat they can do and how to do it in the most directway possible. Installation personnel are bombardeddaily with an almost endless list of messages thatinclude official regulations, advertisements, and evengrocery lists. The energy awareness message mustcompete successfully with all of those othermessages; furthermore, it must not contradict othermission messages.

An energy awareness program has a highpotential for success. Within DoD, successfulawareness programs have already affected theattitudes of many installation energy users. In manycases, energy managers can build upon that existingfoundation. Furthermore, the basic elements for asuccessful energy campaign either exist already orcan be readily created. As identified by sociologists,those elements are as follows:

• Monopolization. Almost everyone agrees thatenergy efficiency is worthwhile.

• Canalization. Existing installation personnel who

already practice energy efficiency can bepotential allies to the energy manager inspreading the message.

• Supplementation. The program must achieve

contact with as many energy users as possible,including family members.

• Channeling. The necessary materials and

equipment must be made available for effortsrequiring an investment. Other awarenessefforts, such as turning off lights and shutting

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windows, for example, require little or no capitalinvestment.

• Universality. Everyone can use energy more

efficiently. However, the message must betailored to appeal to various user groups.

DESIGN

To develop an effective energy awarenesscampaign, the energy manager should start bydefining the audience or audiences. A differentmessage is needed for family housing occupants thanfor maintenance workers.

Once the audiences are defined, the installation'spublic affairs office should be involved in the energyawareness program. That office has specificcommunications expertise, which can be effectivelylinked with the energy manager's technical expertise.

In addition to the public affairs office, energymanagers should get as much help as possible fromother installation personnel in developing an energyawareness program. Getting energy users andmaintenance staff involved in the planning processnot only increases their understanding of theprogram, it generates a greater sense of ownershipleading to greater participation.

Having defined the audience, the awarenessprogram should suggest the specific actions that eachuser group should take that can save energy. Forexample, one promotional campaign could bedirected to housing occupants, another to officeworkers, and another to maintenance workers.Figure 6-1, "Potential Savings from Fluorescent vs.Incandescent Lighting," is an example of a messagethat can be directed to managers who have purchaseauthority, buyers, maintenance personnel, and evenhouseholds (if efficient lightbulbs are made availableto them). The energy manager may want to start witha general, overall awareness program; however, suchoverall programs tend to be more preachy, lessaction-oriented, and therefore less effective thanspecifically focused action campaigns.- They can,however, serve as a useful foundation for the more

narrowly-focused campaigns, which should followthe general campaign very quickly or parallel it.

The new features of Energy 2005 provide anexcellent opportunity for building an effective,highly-motivating awareness program. Realisticinstallation savings goals should be set. Theinstallation commander should be encouraged toendorse those goals and establish a project that theinstallation will carry out with its one-half of the totaldollar savings it retains from energy cost-savingsefforts. That project is a tangible "reward" forhaving saved energy . For example, an installationmight set a goal of five percent savings thendetermine that one-third of the resulting dollarsavings will be enough to fund a project of generalinterest to a majority of energy users. Such projectscould include building a fitness trail, buying otherfitness equipment, building/upgrading a softball field,buying recreational equipment (e.g., pop-up campersand small boats), or building upgrading a park (e.g.,landscaping and picnic tables) or a new playground.

Having developed a goal and an "earned" project(the reward), the energy awareness program shouldpublicize the concrete actions that installationpersonnel can take to achieve that goal. It shouldalso publicize the progress made towards achievingthat goal in the same way that organizationspublicize progress towards other goals, such ascharitable contributions. In this way, energy savingsprovide a tangible reward in addition to the desirablebut more abstract benefits of efficiency, reducedpollution, and lower operating costs.

ACTION-ORIENTED MESSAGES

As mentioned above, the best awarenessprograms are those that can be distilled into short,action-oriented messages. The energy manager,working with the public affairs office, can thencommunicate those messages in many ways. Forexample, a message like 'Use energy wisely" isunlikely to achieve much savings by itself, although itcan serve as a basis for wore concrete messages.Slogans like 'Turn off the lights," and "Switch it offwhen you leave" are more effective because theycommunicate a direct action that users can implement

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immediately. Such action oriented messages have agreater potential to change behavior as well asattitudes. Figure 6-2 provides an example of such amessage. Even better perhaps is a message like"Switch it off for the environment" because itcombines an action with a generally desiredconsequence.

The awareness program should target thoseaction-oriented messages toward different audiences.Some examples of the kind of actions that anawareness program can emphasize are describedbelow.

An awareness program targeted to housing andoffice occupants can encourage the following (no-cost) actions:

• Turn off the lights (including fluorescent lights)when you leave the room.

• Turn off computers overnight. • Do not use space heaters; turn up the thermostat

instead (or have maintenance personnel fix thecentral unit).

An awareness program targeted towardsmaintenance workers can be particularly effectivebecause they are generally responsible for upkeep ofthe most energy-intensive systems. Awarenessmessages can recommend the following (low-cost)actions:

• Fix stuck dampers. • Install low-flow washers in all hot water faucets. • Clean steam traps. • Check for tom or missing insulation and fix it. • Clean condenser coils on cooling equipment. • Wash lenses and luminaires on a regular basis.

On installations with industrial activities, theenergy manager should work with production and

maintenance personnel to develop effective energy-saving actions that the awareness program canpromote. Such actions are likely to be highly specificto particular activities, but have the potential to savea lot of money because such industrial activities areusually the largest energy users at industrialinstallations.

The ideas presented above are only a sampling ofthe many possible messages that a good awarenessprogram can promote. Appendix M providesadditional awareness project ideas.

PUBLICITY TOOLS ANDTECHNIQUES

Successful public outreach energy informationprograms continually present the "need for energyconservation" and "how to save energy" themes.Publicizing conservation information on a regularbasis tends to increase the program's effectiveness byincreasing and maintaining participation. AppendixM also lists publicity techniques that have beensuccessful at various DoD installations.

Posters, stickers, and other publicity materialsget the message to the installation's personnel. Note:Contact higher headquarters' energy offices (if theyexist) and the Federal Energy Management Program(FEMP) to obtain the latest information and ideas.FEMP is eager to hear from people in the field.

Use of stand-up displays at military exchanges,commissaries, front gates, on billboards, and at otherhigh-traffic locations is an effective way to reach alarge number of energy users. In addition, stand-updisplays are an excellent way to communicateprogress toward energy reduction goals.

Films, videos, slide presentations, andpublications on energy and environmental topics areavailable. Almost all gas and electric utilitycompanies have public outreach programs that makeutility representatives available to makepresentations. The FEMP once may also be able toprovide energy awareness materials. Field divisionsof the various engineering corps within each Military

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Service can provide technical and more generalenergy information.

Energy Awareness Month

"Energy Awareness Month" is a nationwideprogram that recognizes the importance of energyconservation. This national event takes place everyOctober. Energy managers can leverage their ownprograms with the national attention generated by -Energy Awareness Month to generate more attentionfrom command management and installation energyusers.

October provides a good opportunity todemonstrate the installation progress on existingenergy reduction goals and to introduce new goals, ifany. Also, October is a good month in which torecognize particular groups and individuals that havedone an outstanding job in energy conservation.

Articles in newspapers, billboard signs, awardpresentations, training seminars, family outings,"walk" or "hitch a ride to work" weeks, competitions,and other promotional activities occur during themonth. Events such as a "run for energy" race or a"bike-to-work' week encourage individualcompetition. Events that encourage individualparticipation and fun should be organized.

Recruiting Children as Allies

Awareness programs can also involve schoolsand extra-curricular youth groups such as the BoyScouts and the Girl Scouts. Children can beinvaluable allies in spreading the energy conservationmessage to their parents and other adults. Youngpeople can be helpful in areas such as recycling,energy conservation home surreys, handing outliterature, and assisting at Energy Awareness Monthactivities. Children might enjoy field trips to baseboiler plant facilities or other engineering-relatededucational activities. They should-be taught howenergy, systems work and how they can conserveenergy.

Many elementary and intermediate schools, bothon base and in the local community, welcome

presentations on energy conservation and its effectshelping the environment. Science classes are idealplaces to teach children the importance of preservingvaluable resources. Similar to the Scouting program,many classes can be encouraged to perform publicservice projects or assist at Energy Awareness Mouthactivities.

Public Outreach

At many installations, the public affairs officerwill publish energy conservation articles in the basenewspaper. Daily energy conservation hints in theinstallation's "plan of the day" or equivalent are alsouseful.

Positive success stories about energyconservation achievements on the installation areoften of interest to local news organizations. Notonly are such stories good for public relations, butthey set an example for the community. DoDpersonnel get positive reinforcement when they arerecognized by the general public for theirconservation activities, which can generatemomentum for sustained, long-term conservationefforts.

EVALUATING PROGRAMEFFECTIVENESS

Since the ultimate purpose of energy awarenessis to use energy more efficiently, the most appropriatemeasure of success should be actual energyreduction. While it is difficult, if not impossible, toisolate those energy reductions due solely to energyawareness efforts, the installation should achievesome reductions in total energy consumption (or inBTUs per square foot).

One way to measure an awareness program'seffectiveness is to develop a set of subjectiveassessment criteria to gauge changes in users' energyhabits. Those criteria can include the number ofincidents where lights are left on after duty hours,where windows are left open during heating/coolingseasons, and the number of unauthorized spaceheaters in use. Those subjective criteria can bemeasured during periodic 'walk-through" inspections.

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During facility inspections, the following actionsshould be completed:

• Find out whether posters an d other awarenessmaterials are visibly displayed.

• Conduct interviews to determine whether energy

users are familiar-r with proper energyconservation procedures.

• Evaluate whether there is a general conservation

ethic in the workplace. • Encourage those not yet committed to the

program to get more involved.