Ground Renewable Expedtionary ENergy System (GREENS) Transcript

Speaker Key 

• Wilson: Daryl Wilson, field service representative for Expeditionary Power, Marine Corps Systems Command
• Anderson: Michelle Anderson, Ph.D., program officer, ONR Sea Warfare and Weapons Department
• Williams: Col. Thomas Williams, military deputy, ONR Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department
• Govar: Justin Govar, chemical engineer and program manager, Expeditionary Power Sources Office
• Robinson: MGYSGT Isaac Robinson, USMC
• Shields: Eric Shields, Naval Service Warfare Center - Carderock Division 
  

Narrator: The Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy System (GREENS) is an ONR-supported revolutionary way to bring solar power to the front lines.

Wilson: The GREENS System is a new design of a solar or renewable powered system. At the moment everything is fossil fueled. You have fossil fueled generators or you have batteries. You have tactical batteries, which are charged by either tactical vehicles or A/C house power.

Anderson: GREENS is a ground renewable expeditionary energy source. There are two pieces to the program. One is a hardware demonstrator that’s a hybrid photovoltaic battery system to enable the Marine Corps to use solar energy to provide some of their energy needs. The other piece of this program is a tool kit. We’re testing a lot of commercial off-the-shelf renewable technologies and we’re going to have the capability where a Marine can enter in what their mission profile is, and it will tell them which components of the system to pull out and take with them in order to provide renewable energy for their needs.

Williams: It’s vitally important to have power on the battlefield especially these days in a regular warfare environment.

Narrator: The 300-Watt renewable system will provide a valid alternative to small generator use in the field and GREENS will cut down the tremendous logistical train it takes to deliver power right now.

Govar: GREENS is important because within the Marine Corps we are fighting in areas that are remote, that require very difficult logistical trains to get to.

Robinson: It would be a lesser load to carry, less to deploy, be able to set up and dissassemble and deploy ourselves a little bit easier and set up a little bit easier in other spots.

Narrator: The ONR-sponsored team of Naval Service Warfare Center at Carderock and the Marine Corps Systems Command has worked at a fast pace to bring solar power to the front lines. Additionally this system will provide cost savings over its lifetime by reducing fuel purchases.

Shields: ONR is funding it and they’re providing really the basis for the entire commercial off-the-shelf evaluation. They are also providing guidance and helping to manage the overall program.

Narrator: The GREENS system was set up and tested at NSWC Carderock in West Bethesda, Md. It then underwent 300-Watt continuous power testing at NAVAIR China Lake during this year’s Empire Challenge. Ambient temperatures during the China Lake exercise exceeded 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Even under the extreme temperatures, the system provided 85% of the rated energy on average.

Shields: What we are looking at doing is trying to get that 85% up to 100% and so the goal in the next two years is to continue to develop and likely to return to China Lake in the following year.

Williams: This part of the program really has only been in existence for less than a year. So for what has been delivered to date I think it’s quite dramatic.

Robinson: I think it’s outstanding. I think it’s going to be an asset. It’s a great first step to get us a more maintenance-free policy.