Solar and Wind, Mobilize

Renewable forms of energy is attractive to the American people because it reinforces what we value so much; freedom. Clean renewable energy allows the country to one day be independent from finite fossil fuels and the complications they possess like corporate and federal corruption. To support the renewable energy movement is to support and protect our freedom as Americans and as human beings. In so many ways, it is evident that these values are strongest to the men and women of the U.S. Army.

For the soldiers of the U.S. armed forces who have to be able to adapt to environments that lack resources and require fuel to be transported to remote locations, it is a major challenge powering important devices such as GPS units and radios. Army engineers and scientists are devising methods to utilize solar and wind power to make the lives of the soldiers easier as well as allows them to focus on their missions. The method called Microgrid utilizes renewable forms of energy to be stored and used by the military where fuel is reserved for the most important purposes.  There are two main challenges that the Microgrids are created to tackle; adaptability (previously mentioned) and compatibility. Instead of having separate batteries for each device, the aim is to have a system that is supportive of all demands for onsite devices. As long as there is power being delivered daily via Microgrid, it would be able to support at least 2 laptops continuously. The storage unit should also be able to provide 5 hours of power when the renewables are not generating power. 

So what exactly can this do for the U.S. besides support the armed forces in protecting the country? Well, the Microgrid itself will not solve the energy crisis, but it seems like the foundation to the vision of a country where its residents live sustainably and are independent from the fuel industry. Don’t worry, I understand that this dream is still very far off, but I can’t help but consider the possibilities of the Microgrid.

Information and photos from this article are from the U.S. Army website.