By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Three teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida earned Fiscal Year 2021 Sustainable Environment Awareness (SEA) Awards and will be recognized during the upcoming 2022 KSC Honor Awards Ceremony this spring.
The Phase 1 Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) Award Team won in the Building Efficiency/Performance Contracts category, the Kimberly-Clark RightCycle Program Team was selected in the Waste Management category, and the Sustainable Acquisition Reporting Team earned an award in the Sustainable Acquisition category.
The Phase 1 UESC Award Team’s project bundles a diverse mixture of energy conservation measures to provide energy savings, resiliency, and efficiency; two-megawatt solar farm, water fixtures, transformers, internal lighting, street and parking lot lighting, boilers, chillers, and other mechanical-related improvements. The effort, which uses the concept of financing and then paying it off through the savings, will result in $1.4 million in annual savings for NASA.
Sustainability is a critical part of NASA’s current and future goals – at Kennedy and throughout the agency.
“The UESC provides a win-win alternative where we can meet our energy and water conversation metrics and goals for the center and the agency,” said Launch Services Program Facility Operations and Maintenance Coordinator Cory Taylor, who works in the Spaceport Integration and Services (SI) directorate. “It also allows the programs to invest in their own facilities in a way that doesn’t impact their budget, as well as reducing their long-term utility expenses.”
The team comprises more than 35 members, including NASA civil servants and contractors, as well as Florida Power and Light employees. During the effort, Taylor engaged with about 120 people for feedback.
“It was an amazing project on a personal level to get to learn and engage with so many people, but also from a center level perspective – getting to understand the functions that everyone holds and how they work together to make this such a successful spaceport,” Taylor said.
A UESC 2 is already underway.
The Kimberly-Clark RightCycle Program Team reduced waste by replacing personal protective equipment (PPE) with recyclable products throughout Jacobs’ Test and Operations Support Contract (TOSC) facilities wherever possible, reducing waste disposal costs. The effort also lowered the purchase cost of gloves, with reductions of up to 35 percent.
“We wanted to make sure we did this to its full capabilities and did it throughout the TOSC contract. We’ve gotten almost all of the PPE changed over to Kimberly-Clark so it can be recycled,” said Environmental Scientist April Smith, who spearheaded the effort, along with An Huynh, also an environmental scientist on the TOSC contract. “I’d like to see us change in every area possible and expand this as far as it can go.”
As part of the newly established process, all supplier PPE is collected, placed in a recycle container, and shipped back to the company to be recycled into usable products. The containers are set up throughout multiple TOSC facilities on center.
The Sustainable Acquisition Team created a process to identify contract actions that were reported incorrectly in the Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation. The new process ensures Kennedy receives credit for contracts that include mandatory clauses for the purchase of biobased, energy-efficient, recycled content and other sustainable features.
Annie Williams (SI) led the team, which included Hien Nguyen (SI), Karen Rivaud (Procurement), and consultant Angela Solorio.
The SEA Award Program recognizes NASA civil servants and contractors who demonstrate leadership to enhance the environment, implement sustainable practices, conserve energy and preserve natural resources. Click here for more information about the SEA program.