In the Spotlight

Name: Antonino Piluso

Command: NASSIG

Department: Energy Management

By MCSN Triniti Lersch, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Antonio Piluso, a local national from Catania, started working for the Navy in 2011. He is now the Installation Energy Manager of the Public Works Department onboard Naval Air Station Sigonella.

The energy program is based on three pillars: energy reduction, energy renewal, and energy awareness.

“We have to reduce the energy used, install new systems that produce energy from renewable sources, and put together a campaign and awareness program,” said Piluso.

There are several renewable energy systems on NAS 1 and NAS 2, including the photovoltaic panels or solar panels. For Piluso, the most challenging part about being the Energy Manager is the energy awareness portion, due to the ever-changing personnel onboard NAS Sigonella. The goal of the awareness program is to make sure that everybody is conscious about the energy used in their daily actions.

“It’s a mindset that you have to work with,” states Piluso. “You have to change the attitudes the people have. With the huge rotation we have in Sigonella, you put together a nice program and it works for three years, you see the feedback, and then all the people go away and you have to start all over again.”

Piluso’s department has several requirements, including agency and Department of Defense (DoD) goals. They also conduct an annual review of the programs.

“It’s a data driven program so we have to show everything we have spent so far and everything we have achieved,” said Piluso. “So far we have been successful”

Piluso enjoys working for the military, and it shows in both his achievements and his words.

“Oh, I love it,” said Piluso. “I like all the processes and procedures put in place for the energy program. We have a very big and well established program.”

In addition, Piluso has won many awards for his projects. His most recent is the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) award. He won it due to his hard work and implementing exceptional, resilient, efficient, and secure energy and water management practices and projects while also helping his agency to achieve mission success.

Although he wasn’t able to receive the award in person, Piluso is very happy about winning it.

“I’m unlucky because the FEMP meeting we have every year was only virtual this year,” said Piluso. “I’m actually very proud of this award.”

In his free time Piluso likes to travel, but with the COVID-19 pandemic he has not been able to.

“I just like to travel with the family, but now with the coronavirus, travel is only local. We are lucky because we live in Sicily and there are many nice places to go,” stated Piluso. “It depends on the time of year, but we go to the beaches or the mountain.”