Kyocera Solar, Inc. and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest today announced the completion of a 1.4 megawatt (MW) solar electric system on the United States Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, just north of San Diego, Calif. NAVFAC Southwest celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, held on February 3.

Composed of 6,300 KD235 modules produced locally at Kyocera’s San Diego facility, the solar electric system represents the largest photovoltaic (PV) system on a Marine Corps base — and ranks among the largest solar installations in San Diego County.

Through a partnership with AEE Solar, San Diego-based integrator Synergy Electric Company installed the 225 panel solar system that stands on the site of the Box Canyon landfill — effectively transforming unusable land into a site producing clean energy.

Global engineering firm AECOM led the design of the project, including geotechnical, civil and photovoltaic system design. “AECOM incorporated numerous design elements to address the unique environmental and engineering challenges of the landfill site,” said AECOM Project Manager David Cyr. “We are proud to have contributed to the success of this significant project.”

The ground-mounted system feeds Camp Pendleton’s electric grid and is expected to produce about 2,400 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, enough electricity to power 400 average homes. NAVFAC anticipates the renewable energy conversion will save the Marine Corps $336,000 yearly in electricity costs while more than tripling its previous solar energy capacity.

“The Box Canyon PV project is a very exciting venture that is making use of a previously unusable piece of real estate, and providing a renewable energy source to help Camp Pendleton meet its on-site renewable energy generation goals,” said Bernadette Rose, NAVFAC Southwest ROICC Construction Manager at Camp Pendleton

The Camp Pendleton project demonstrates the growing demand for solar electricity. To meet the increasing market demand in the U.S., Kyocera began manufacturing solar panels at its San Diego production facility in June 2010.

“This sizable solar installation and the Marine Corps’ sustainable energy goals demonstrate its commitment to environmental preservation and advancing national security through energy independence,” stated Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc.

Source:  Kyocera Solar / Renewable EnergyWorld.com

Marines Use Solar Panels in Afghanistan

Solar panels like this modified ZeroBase Regenerator can provide power for more than 

17 computers and 15 lighting units, according to Marines who tested the equipment in Afghanistan. 

U.S. Marines may be on the verge of turning a long-time enemy into an ally. In this case, that enemy is the desert sun. Thanks to flexible solar panels, the sun can help run military equipment — and it may even cut down on casualties.

By using solar power and placing an emphasis on energy conservation, Marines and sailors of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment say they cut diesel consumption in their generators from 20 gallons a day to 2.5 gallons a day, according to a Marine report.

The regiment tested the equipment in Afghanistan at the end of last year, in what may be the first large-scale military test of solar power there.

Marines who used the technology say it helps in three main ways:

1.  Fewer Supply Convoys — With less need for fuel and batteries, fewer trucks are exposed to possible attacks on the road.

2.  Quieter Is Safer — Units that rely on diesel generators to keep equipment running at night could go quiet while running on batteries, making them harder for the enemy to find.

3.  Efficiency — The foldable solar blankets are light and don't take up much space. That should help patrols' mobility, and save space for other supplies — like ammunition, as one sergeant says.

4.   

That all sounds great — but another report, from a Marine training exercise here in the U.S., adds a different perspective. To work properly, the solar panels needed bright sun — something that was less abundant in the test areas of Virginia than in Afghanistan.

But for the Marines in that test, the biggest stumbling block was time:

An eight-hour charge for a single AN/PRC-119F SINCGARS radio battery took between three to four hours, which makes this an unrealistic option for Marines on the move, said Sgt. Taylor Clark, a communications instructor with The Basic School in Quantico.

"If you're on a patrol, you are not able to stop and set up for four hours; it's not very 'recon friendly,'" explained the Metairie, La., native.

Clark mentioned that in order to keep the SPACES charging at optimal levels, it had to be continually rotated to keep it in direct contact with the sun as the day progressed. It also had to be kept completely free and clear of sand, which can be time consuming and tedious when in a desert, he said.

Still, the recent tests showed that using alternative energy on military missions has both tactical and environmental benefits. And in both the Virginia and the Afghanistan tests, Marines praised the panels for being durable, light and simple — kind of the trifecta for field gear.

Just in case your appetite for Clancy-esque military-speak hasn't been sated, here's a last soupcon: The so-called Solar Portable Alternative Communications Energy System (SPACES) was deployed in a new program called ExFOB — that's Experimental Forward Operating Base to you.

Want that used in a sentence? Just ask a man known as Gunny: ExFOB has provided immediate energy to my boys," said Gunnery Sgt. Willy Carrion, 'I' Company, company gunnery sergeant. "Logistics and resupply to my men is essential to our mission accomplishment. Marines can sustain themselves on little food and water, but the time we have saved on convoys for fuel and batteries, has been crucial.

Thanks to Kevin Bullis at Technology Review & NPR for first spotting this story.

How the Military's Green Energy Transition Can Make You Rich

By Jeff Siegel

It was all over the news last week...

With recycled — yet catchy — titles like "The Military is Going Green" and “For the U.S. Military, it's Easy Being Green,” the world learned that the military's dependence on fossil fuels has become a strategic nightmare.

Of course, for those who have been reading these pages for the past five years, this is hardly “news.”

We've been talking about this very issue since we first launched Energy and Capital and Green Chip Stocks.

I can remember speaking at an investment conference in 2006; my topic was the military's reliance on fossil fuels.

I have to admit that back then, it wasn't easy convincing folks that transitioning away from fossil fuels (where possible) was paramount if we wanted to prepare for a post-peak world.

But when I started quoting Pentagon reports and former Reagan White House advisors, the mood changed...

Now I realize that there are still those who don't believe alternative energy will soon be integrated on a much larger scale than it is today. And investors can ignore this reality at their own peril.

But one thing is certain: While it may take a few more years to see more solar shining in your neighborhood, the military's going full force on alternative energy — today.

The military has adopted alternative energy

From portable solar panels to energy-conserving lights, the U.S. military is fast-tracking the transition from fossil fuels to systems that lessen the military's vulnerability on the battle field.

As reported last week in the New York Times:

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the huge truck convoys that haul fuel to bases have been sitting ducks for enemy fighters — in the latest attack, oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO troops in Afghanistan were set on fire in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, early Monday. In Iraq and Afghanistan, on Army study found, for every 24 fuel convoys that set out, one soldier or civilian engaged in fuel transport was killed. In the past three months, six Marines have been wounded guarding fuel runs in Afghanistan.

This is serious stuff, folks.

And fortunately, military leaders don't have to entertain special interest-funded debates about the merits and urgency of alternative energy integration — you know, like we're doing now in D.C. (well, in between fundraising events and mud-slinging)...

Yes, the military has already ordered the adoption of alternative energy. And the benefits of this move will not be trivialized.

We know that the U.S. Navy now has hybrid ships, and has integrated super-efficient LED lighting on some of its vessels.

Back in January, the Secretary of the Navy announced the Navy and Marine Corps would cut petroleum use in its 50,000 non-tactical commercial fleet in half by phasing in hybrid, flex fuel, and electric vehicles.

The Army is using rucksacks enhanced with portable solar power systems.

Earlier this year, we learned that BAE Systems (PK: BAESY) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) are developing an Army Ground Combat Vehicle that uses hybrid-electric drive technology.

Also earlier this year, the U.S. Army took delivery of a mobile trailer-mounted wind turbine and storage unit developed by a company called WindTamer Corporation (OTCBB: WNDT).

That system is currently being used as a demonstration unit for the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. This is the Army's largest technology developer and its primary source for research and development.

Next year, we know that the entire Air Force fleet will be certified to fly on biofuels. It was only about six months ago that the Air Force announced its first feasibility flight demonstration using a hydrocarbon synthetic jet fuel created from animal fats and plant oils.

Yes, my friends... This is happening right now.

No debates.

No second-guessing.

And no media blowhards using scare tactics to keep the couch potato zombies believing a transition to alternative energy is some kind of socialist plot designed to cripple the U.S. economy.

Whether you think alternative energy is the real deal or not, one thing is certain...

The military doesn't care about public opinion polls. It cares about results.

And that's the difference between complacency and progress.