Eco Factor: Renewable energy systems to be developed for U.S. military.
While the military might be the biggest consumer of oil in the United States, the Pentagon is looking for ways to reduce this oil dependence, which could allow them to use the same money elsewhere. Apart from saving money, these green efforts will also take about 6400 soldiers per gallon of saved fuel off the fuel convoys, hence saving a lot of lives and injuries of those people who would have to deliver fuel through hostile territory.
The Pentagon has already stated that by 2025, about 25% of the energy it requires would come from renewable sources. They’ve also started some low-tech initiatives that includes spraying tents with a layer of hard foam to keep the tents insulated and reduce fuel consumption for heating and cooling by almost 50%.
Apart from ground forces, the Air Force is also trying out new ways to reduce fuel consumption. They’ve estimated that removing 100 pounds of load from its heavy cargo fleet would save one million pounds of fuel annually and hence a lot of money. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, SunPower Corporation has built North America’s largest solar farm consisting of more than 72,000 solar panels generating about 14MW of 25% of the energy the base needs.
The Dark Side:
Using renewable energy for fixed bases like Air Force bases is a feasible and a cost effective approach. This however cannot work for ground forces that keep changing their location.
Via: AFP
