An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 18, 2010

Truax power comes from the ground up

By Airman 1st Class Ryan Roth Wisconsin National Guard

MADISON, Wis., - With the rise in energy costs and a growing national desire to lower consumption rates, the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field is investing in an energy-saving system that can address both concerns.

The Wisconsin Air National Guard unit plans to tap the green energy in the ground to save money on heating and cooling bills for Building 500, the fighter wing's headquarters, with a geothermal system expected to be completed by November of 2010.

"We have Department of Defense mandates to comply with, and tapping the energy in the ground is one way to fall within those mandates," said Lt. Col. Kevin Philpot, 115th Civil Engineer Squadron commander.

This project was designed within the long-term goal of reducing facility energy consumption in the Air Force three percent annually by 2015.

The Air Force is continually looking for more green and cost-effective ways to operate.

"The geothermal system will cost about $120,000 more than a conventional heating and cooling system but can pay for itself in approximately 7.5 years," said Maj. David Mack, assistant base engineer for the 115th Fighter Wing.

The system takes advantage of the stored thermal energy found below the ground's surface. The geothermal system here will consist of 70 wells drilled into the field just outside of Building 500, tapping into some of that stored energy.

Pipes will be installed in each well, making a circuit starting and finishing inside Building 500. A non-freezing liquid, glycol, will be pumped through these pipes and the temperature of the ground will help heat or cool the building, depending on the season.

When the project is complete, grass will be replanted in the field and no green space will be lost.

"As engineers we are looking at the long term to see how we can save money and meet the government mandates," Philpot said.

 

 

Related Articles
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, visits the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, Alaska National Guard, on Fort Greely, Alaska, April 28, 2025. Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion operate and secure the ground-based midcourse defense system and are an integral piece of the homeland defense mission to protect the U.S. from intercontinental ballistic missiles using ground-based interceptors.
In Alaska, Nordhaus Sees National Guardsmen Defending the Homeland, Enabling Global Power Projection
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely | May 1, 2025
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – From within Alaska’s vast Interior, Alaska National Guardsmen defend the homeland from long-range missile attacks and enable global power projection.Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the chief of...

Sgt. Jessica Shields, a water purification specialist with the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, checks the chlorine levels of the water meant for cooking and cleaning laundry during TRADEWINDS 25 exercise at Teteron Bay, Trinidad and Tobago, April 27, 2025.
Missouri National Guard Water Purification Team Supports TRADEWINDS 25
By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane, | May 1, 2025
TETERON BAY, Trinidad – Few resources are more critical than clean water for sustaining troops in the field. From cooking meals to maintaining hygiene, a steady supply of safe water is essential to keeping Soldiers healthy,...

Group photo of Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion Soldiers standing in front of the Seattle / King County Clinic.
Washington Guard Soldiers Support Clinic Through Language and Compassion
By Joseph Siemandel, | May 1, 2025
SEATTLE – A group of Soldiers from the Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, recently volunteered at a Seattle and King County medical clinic to provide language support for visitors receiving free medical,...