Building Technology Proving Ground at Illinois Army National Guard (ILARNG) Sites

Compact tankless water heater delivers ~3 Million BTUs/hr with turndown ratios of 100:1 for variable demand applications.

As military installations face increasing demands for efficiency and resilience, GTI Energy is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) on a multi-phase program at the Illinois Army National Guard (ILARNG) to evaluate the real-world performance of emerging high-efficiency natural gas and hydrogen technologies. The initiative focuses on essential elements of mission continuity, including space conditioning, water heating, backup power, and fueling systems.

The program assessed a range of technologies, ranging from primary equipment – such as boilers, water heaters, gas heat pumps, and rooftop units – to secondary equipment like secondary windows, insulation, pumps, controls, and duct sealing. These efforts work together to enhance energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and strengthen energy security for mission-critical operations. Preliminary results across sites show meaningful impact:

• 28–40% gas savings from high-efficiency boiler retrofits and tankless water heaters
• Up to 63% runtime reduction in water heating systems using non-invasive circulation controls
• Up to $3,000/year per system saved through targeted pump, fan, and controls upgrades
• Up to 39% gas and up to 28% electricity savings from automated duct sealing
• Up to 60% reduction in GHG emissions at sites with dual fuel rooftop systems
• Improved air quality and better equipment performance from HVAC right-sizing and advanced controls
• Increased resilience through distributed generation and micro-CHP solutions under evaluation

Early findings confirm that combining equipment upgrades with targeted building system improvements can significantly reduce energy use and improve infrastructure resilience. The work continues to inform best practices for scalable, cost-effective energy solutions across DOD facilities.