Q Housing residents on Ramstein have been told that portable air
conditioning units are not authorized. However, when I drive around the KMC, I see base agencies using A/C units. Why can some offices use these units, but not base housing residents?
A Thank you for this well-timed question … in fact, it is a question I also had as a new arrival one month ago. In order to justify comfort cooling A/C, DOD policy states that outdoor temperatures must exceed 80 degrees for more than 350 hours per year.
Unfortunately, the KMC area averages only 160 hours per year above 80 degrees, barely half of what is required. Additionally, and also due to normal temperatures here at Ramstein, the base infrastructure was not designed to support A/C units in every room. Thus, our infrastructure cannot handle the electrical load if A/C units were provided for all of our facilities.
In some areas, A/C has been approved by the 435th Civil Engineer Group. These are determined on a case-by-case basis. The two main reasons for approval are to cool areas with an abundance of heat-generating equipment or to cool high-traffic
public gathering areas where comfort is an issue.
The Commander’s Action Line gives KMC members a direct link to wing leadership. The action line is a way for KMC members to ask a question or express a concern on the policies and procedures of the base, as well as discuss safety and security issues. To submit an action line, e-mail editor@kaiserslauternamerican.com with “Action Line” as the subject.
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Q Housing residents on Ramstein have been told that portable air
conditioning units are not authorized. However, when I drive around the KMC, I see base agencies using A/C units. Why can some offices use these units, but not base housing residents?
A Thank you for this well-timed question … in fact, it is a question I also had as a new arrival one month ago. In order to justify comfort cooling A/C, DOD policy states that outdoor temperatures must exceed 80 degrees for more than 350 hours per year.
Unfortunately, the KMC area averages only 160 hours per year above 80 degrees, barely half of what is required. Additionally, and also due to normal temperatures here at Ramstein, the base infrastructure was not designed to support A/C units in every room. Thus, our infrastructure cannot handle the electrical load if A/C units were provided for all of our facilities.
In some areas, A/C has been approved by the 435th Civil Engineer Group. These are determined on a case-by-case basis. The two main reasons for approval are to cool areas with an abundance of heat-generating equipment or to cool high-traffic
public gathering areas where comfort is an issue.
The Commander’s Action Line gives KMC members a direct link to wing leadership. The action line is a way for KMC members to ask a question or express a concern on the policies and procedures of the base, as well as discuss safety and security issues. To submit an action line, e-mail editor@kaiserslauternamerican.com with “Action Line” as the subject.