The U.S. military has been at the forefront of solar energy research for the past few years, albeit quietly. The Department of Defense has funneled large amounts of money into solar research and has looked to utilize the technology's power to help troops, power its bases and bring about technological advances in the field.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, the military has worked with solar technology firms to develop equipment that is light weight and powered by solar panels; the benefits of such technology are myriad: Troops fighting abroad are able to cover longer distances, carry less heavy equipment and have a source of energy with them that is not oil-based.
In yet another example of the military's commitment to solar power, Kyocera Solar Inc. announced this week that it has completed the installation of a 1.4-megawatt solar panel system on the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Located just north of San Diego, California, the base recently celebrated the photovoltaic system's completion with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest.
The solar panel system is vast in scope: It comprises 6,300 KD235 solar modules and not only is the largest photovoltaic system on any Marine Corps base in the U.S., but also is one of the biggest solar systems in San Diego County. The photovoltaic array was built to help offset the base's electricity use and to serve as a model for other military bases throughout the U.S. and around the globe, according to the base.
The solar panel system will save the Marines money on electricity in the future and will help the base slash its greenhouse gas emissions, according to Bernadette Rose, NAVFAC Southwest ROICC construction manager at Camp Pendleton. In fact, the photovoltaic system will generate about 2,400 megawatt-hours of clean energy every year – enough to power 400 U.S. homes – and save about $336,000 in reduced utility costs.
Moreover, in keeping with the military authorization law President Obama signed into law back in January, the military bought all of the solar panels used in the construction of the photovoltaic system domestically. The 225 solar panels used in the installation were sourced from Kyocera's San Diego manufacturing facility, ensuring American workers benefited from the military's newest renewable energy facility.
The military contracted Synergy Electric Company, through a partnership with AEE Solar, to install the solar panel system; the photovoltaic array was actually installed on the site of the Box Canyon landfill, which according to the military was a previously unused parcel of land. Now, the land serves as the site of a renewable energy system.
The development of the solar panel system was a test for engineers, said the project's backers. The land the solar array sits on presented difficult topographical challenges, but the global engineering firm AECOM guided a team of designers to address the specific problems that they were faced with, including the environmental hurdles they had to cross.
"AECOM incorporated numerous design elements to address the unique environmental and engineering challenges of the landfill site," said AECOM project manager David Cyr in a statement. "We are proud to have contributed to the success of this significant project."
"The Bos 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 Ross. For its part, the U.S. military has said it equates energy independence with national security and the solar panel system is yet another example of the military's working to reduce its reliance on foreign oil.
"This sizable solar installation and the Marine Corps' sustainable energy goals demonstrate its commitment to environmental preservation and advancing national security through energy independence," affirmed Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc.
