Hill recently honored an engineer for his energy saving efforts, an Air Force priority. Trent Tholen, an electrical engineer and senior project manager assigned to the 309th Maintenance Support Squadron, took positive, specific actions to ensure improved working conditions and energy savings could be achieved simultaneously.

While working directly with process and facility engineering teams within the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Tholen distinguished himself by identified and corrected lighting inefficiencies for C-130 tests stands in Building 269.

The lighting retrofit involved replacing 83 (175-watt) Pulse Start Metal Halide fixtures with 60 (78-watt) and two (39-watt) Light Emitting Diode, or LED, fixtures.

The upgrade was needed because the existing lighting was inadequate and frequent painting rework was required due to shadows and poor lighting levels. 

It was determined that 4-inch linear LED lighting fixtures would be used for improved lumen maintenance, lighting color rendering, lighting uniformity and reduced maintenance.

The result: The lighting quality has greatly improved and painting rework has lessened, while reducing lighting-fixture energy and maintenance costs. 

Tholen’s thinking was instrumental in achieving annual savings of 54,851 kWh and annual utility cost savings of $4,569. 

In addition, working with the base energy manager and taking advantage of Rocky Mountain Power’s Watt-Smart Business Rebate Program, Hill received more than $11,000 in incentive rebates toward the project cost.  

These are only a few of Tholen’s energy-efficiency accomplishments within the depot maintenance workload — and just one example of Team Hill at its best, Hill AFB utility officials said

For these and other efforts, Tholen was recognized as the fiscal 2014 Hill AFB Energy Champion for his contributions.

Officials said he is a shining example of excellent energy and environmental stewardship for the Air Force and the Department of Defense.