15 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"The Navy has set the goal of using nonfossil fuels for 50 percent of its power by the year 2020.

Some of the solutions are incredibly simple: silvery tent liners that increase the efficiency of heaters
or air conditioners.
More novel are the portable solar-panel blankets, able to power communications gear for a patrol.
That means carrying far fewer heavy batteries. There's also a small shipping container connected to a bank of solar panels that is powering flat screens and surveillance equipment.

This (last) fall, the Navy purchased half a million gallons of fuel made from algae
or used cooking oil.
In the spring, a huge exercise in the Pacific Rim intends to demonstrate that it works just as well as petroleum-based fuel.
Major environmental groups have reacted positively.
And developers of biofuels and solar panels say having the Pentagon; the world's largest
consumer of fossil fuel; trying to go green is providing a shot in the arm to their industry."


http://www.npr.org/2...tan?ft=1&f=1025

"From experimental solar-powered desert bases for the Marines to Navy robots that run on
wave energy, the military is quickly becoming a leading buyer of cutting-edge renewable energy technology.
For renewable energy companies, the military is proving to be a vital customer, buying the latest in
clean energy gadgets and encouraging private investment. The hope is the armed services can shepherd this technology to the point where it becomes commercially viable, much like it did a generation ago for GPS systems or the Internet.

Last year, the Marines bought solar panels that roll up like beach mats and can be stuffed into backpacks. During tests in Afghanistan, the mats were instrumental in reducing the number of batteries the Marines had to carry to run radios or laptops.

This year the Marines are looking to buy larger, trailer-mounted solar panels that use advanced materials to generate twice the power of conventional silicon-based panels and can power an entire base. They are also testing fuel efficiency devices for their tactical vehicles.
Ultimately, they hope to cut their fuel consumption 50% by 2025.

They Navy is also experimenting with wave and tidal power devices, as well as using advanced biofuel to power its boats. The Air Force has long used biofuels as part of its fuel mix in planes, including second-generation fuels from algae and other plants that people don't eat."

http://money.cnn.com...nergy/index.htm

[zararina]

It should really get/receive positive reactions as it could do a lot of good for the environment.
Good to know that different sectors/groups in the government chooses to be green on choosing more earth friendly energy sources. Shifting to alternative green energy sources was a good move and action from them to battle against further destruction of our environment.

[mariaandrea]

It's always a little surprising, but the US military has always been on the forefront of new technologies - many of them eco-friendly. A decade ago I was watching companies producing hydrogen fuel cells and the army was a large customer, testing them out. It makes sense when you consider that in many places around the world, particularly remote and/or hostile zones, the military would want to be as self-contained and independent as possible, so alternative energy sources would actually be pretty important.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Well, the environmental thing is really secondary to them, as stated in the articles.
It's logistics and safety for the troops and the eco thing is a side benefit.
But it's saving tons of emissions and dollars; and getting oil from folks that don't like us much.

But, as also stated in those pieces, when it's "field tested" under extreme circumstances like that in
a war zone, investors snap to and say- "you bet, order more."

How many people have some sort of gps tracking system now in their cars, phones, etc?
They "get 'er done" and it goes mainstream.

Now, they need to bring all those technologies home, and apply them to the bases here and not
use them in a war, because there will be no more wars................but that's another topic. *sigh

[MakingCents]

I'll be honest, I am thrilled that they are doing this but I for one want the military to use whatever means necessary to keep us an dour country safe.  From there it can be our responsibility to keep it alive and keep it clean.  That being said if they can accomplish both goals then more power to them!

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Oh great. Just when you think things are finally moving in the right direction, and the military has
embraced greener technologies..........
along come those idiots on the hill, and make it harder for the military to get "LEED" certifications
on their buildings.
JFC!

"As noted by the Federal Times, a section of the law states,
"No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense
for fiscal year 2012 may be obligated or expended for achieving any LEED gold or platinum certification."

http://www.huffingto....html?ref=green

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Vacant land on seven military bases generate 7,000 megawatts of solar energy, which could offer millions of dollars in revenue, Federal News Radio reported.
The Department of Defense's Office of Installations and the Environment found 25,000 acres on military bases stretching from California to Nevada were "suitable" for solar development and could hold the key to decreasing the $4 billion per year
that the DOD spends on energy.
The study, conducted by ICF International Inc., also indicated the federal government could earn as much as $100 million per year, in either revenue or through reduced energy costs by leasing out the land to solar developers."
http://organic-devon..._medium=twitter

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"The Navy said Thursday it will ramp up its use of public-private partnerships to purchase
one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2020.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement that one gigawatt is enough to power about 250,000 homes.

The Navy will reach its goal by using a variety of alternative financing techniques, including:
• Energy savings performance contracts, where a company pays the upfront investment for energy-efficiency renovations and retrofits in exchange for payments from energy savings over time.
• Enhanced-use leases, where a company gets to develop government land with renewable energy or other projects in
exchange for payment or in-kind services such as reduced-rate energy.
• Power purchase agreements, in which a power company constructs an energy system in exchange for fixed payments over a certain number of years.

The service expects to have 100 megawatts of solar power, six megawatts of wind power
and 270 megawatts of geothermal power by the end of 2012."
http://www.federalti...ES04/201260302/

[artistry]

This is great news, and very good to hear. The President announced some new initiatives, regarding energy and the military, in his State of the Union address. It sounds very encouraging. Thanks for the excellent report.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

artistry, on 26 January 2012 - 09:03 PM, said:

This is great news, and very good to hear. The President announced some new initiatives, regarding energy and the military, in his State of the Union address. It sounds very encouraging. Thanks for the excellent report.

The military can do pretty much anything they want to do; and thankfully, they're embracing renewables.
It helps protect soldiers in the field, and the top brass see the money savings too.
What's that Sea-bee saying? "There's no such word as can't."

[jasserEnv]

Given that the military is such a huge consumer of energy and so much money is already spent by the military, it only makes sense that they become far more efficient in their consumption. It is really the least we can expect considering the dollars dedicated to the military machine. I often wonder, however, if even 10% of all the funding going toward the military was targeted directly at alternative energy, just how fast the US could eliminate its dependence on oil from hostile nations. It would seem to be a far more effective strategy than maintaining presence in these very volatile countries.

[tri-n-b-helpful]

I heard about this on the news recently... it made headlines here! Why? The US Navy have their eye on buying biofuels from a big plant already running in New South Wales. Half-way through this year, if I remember correctly, there will be over a thousand US marines coming here. It would be interesting to see how they've upgraded the bases here to be more eco-friendly. I'm thinking that solar power would feature quite heavily. From an environmental point of view, this is really encouraging to see, even if their motivation is "otherwise".

[Jacob Rockland]

Good to see that we have some common sense in our military chain of command!

[joeldgreat]

Internet was initially develop for military porpuses and now its being used worldwide. This means that the military had a very huge impact to our way of life. I hope that by the year they had develop or cut down harmful gases, it will not be too late for Mother Earth. How I wish that they can make it in 3 to 5 years span.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Net zero military school built in Arizona; the 12th certified net zero building in the states.   
"Green features of the school include solar panels, high-efficiency HVAC units and three wind turbines."
Article.

[jacal1]

It's funny how forward thinking the military is, no matter how backward our government can get.  I also read that they are researching the effects of global warming - started doing this even under the skeptic administration of Bush - because they realize that certain lanes will open up for subs and ships in the arctic.  You can certainly tell the difference between what our government says and what it really thinks when you look at where they spend their money!