“GREEN” Technology for Marines in Arabian Desert

To the U.S. Marines operating in the Arabian desert, the sun was nothing more that source of relentless heat in the region until a few months ago… but not anymore! There is now a green technology that has been developed that would harness the energy of the sun to power their equipment on the ground!

Who?

The Office of Naval Research Advanced Power Generation Future Naval Capabilities Program (Now that’s quite a mouthful!) is who is responsible for this project.

What?

Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy System (GREENS), which is a 300 watt, photovoltaic / battery system that provides continuous power to Marines in the field. During field testing at Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, California, where ambient temperatures exceeded 116 degrees Fahrenheit, the system provided 85% of the rated energy.

Why?

There is a high demand for computing devices, targeting systems and communications devices in the field. Small tactical Marine units are widely dispersed, and they require constant power and resupply. So harnessing the power of the sun, a near constant presence in the harsh environment where Marines are deployed around the world, is a very sensible use of this technology.

By reducing the logistical supply chain for fuel, GREENS, and other projects like it, can help cut fuel use, cost and the associated threats to vehicle resupply convoys in the battlefield!