Military energy storage and wind power

Could a wind turbine serve a military or humanitarian mission?

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, D3T brought together experts from INL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Sandia National Laboratories to analyze how to build a wind turbine that could serve both military and humanitarian missions around the world.

Why is energy important in the military?

Energy enables nearly everything the military does, and the primary objective is mission assurance and decisive advantage on the battlefield. So “security” is derived through energy powering capable major weapons systems and communications infrastructure at the desired levels of performance, range, and readiness.

Could wind power be a reliable source of power?

But wind energy, the D3T team found, could be a reliable source of power for many of these missions, especially as part of a microgrid alongside solar panels, energy storage systems, and even diesel generators. Additionally, power generated from deployable wind turbines offsets diesel fuel needed in conflict zones.

Are wind turbines a good option for the military?

Deployable wind turbines can reduce both the amount of diesel needed and the number of troops put at risk in slow-moving supply convoys, keeping military personnel focused on the larger mission. But unlike solar panels, traditional wind turbines are not easy to transport and install. Most require cement, heavy towers, and large cranes to erect.

Are military weapons more energy efficient?

Solar panels connected to a microgrid at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama HONOLULU — The U.S. military’s longstanding goal to make weapon systems more energy efficient is growing increasingly complicated as modern weapons are consuming even more power.

How does military energy use affect security?

But resupplying energy to combat theaters and the battlespace edge is a vulnerability, so security is also derived through minimizing the energy required for vehicles and forward locations. Reducing and diversifying fuel use are also drivers behind economic considerations of military energy use.