Robins Air Force Base

A dock floating on a calm lake, with trees in the background and sunlight reflecting on the water.

Robins Air Force Base is the home of Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, the 78th Air Base Wing, and more than sixty other units that make up a vital part of the Air Force war-fighting team. It is the largest industrial complex in Georgia, employing a workforce of more than 24,000 civilians, contractors and military members.

Sign for U.S. Air Force Robin's Air Force Base, with blue background and the Air Force emblem on the left.

This project consisted of installing (4) 55 Ton (HR) Low Profile Slim Jim® Assemblies at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.

Robins Air Force Base made the command decision to take a holistic approach to utilize renewable energy, plans to install a geothermal system to reduce cooling and heating costs were then developed.

The Robins Billeting Area, consisting of four separate motel and temporary housing buildings for base officers and VIPs, utilized aging, noisy air-cooled chillers for cooling and natural gas boilers for hot water heating and showers.

Trane redesigned the mechanical rooms in each building, installing efficient water source heat pumps, controls, high efficiency boilers, hot water storage and pumps. The completed hybrid geothermal system utilizes a local lake as its renewable energy heat source in winter and heat sink in summer.

The system consists of 160-tons of geothermal heat pumps paired with specially-designed stainless steel heat exchangers, which were placed in the lake. A desuperheater was added to the system to utilize rejected condenser heat to preheat the domestic hot water, resulting in an 80 to 90 percent energy savings for water heating. The system quietly and efficiently maintains comfortable indoor temperatures in the billeting facilities, while helping Robins AFB to reduce energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. A water spray fountain was installed in the lake to cool it if necessary.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

A peaceful lake with a fountain in the center, surrounded by trees and a clear blue sky.
Aerial view of Duck Lake at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, showing the lake surrounded by trees, pathways, and buildings, with a parking lot and a sports field nearby.
A floating dock with a ladder by a calm lake, surrounded by trees and bushes, under a clear sky.
Cover page of a case study titled 'Robins Air Force Base,' dated August 2013, discussing the use of renewable energy for lighting and energy savings at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, featuring a photo of solar-powered skylights on a rooftop.
Page from a report discussing energy-saving lighting upgrades, a geothermal system utilizing a local lake as a renewable energy source, and sustainable technology evaluations. Contains a photo of a lake with a fountain and trees in the background.