Renewable Energy Opportunities for the Army
The Department of Defense (DoD) has a goal of obtaining 25% of its domestic electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and also must meet federal renewable energy mandates and schedules. This report describes the analyses undertaken to study the renewable resource potential at 15 Army sites, focusing on grid-connected generation of electricity. The resources analyzed at each site include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, waste-to-energy, and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). For each renewable generation resource, an assessment was completed to determine the level of resource availability, and the price at which that resource would be available for electricity generation. Various design alternatives and available technologies were considered in order to determine the best way to utilize each resource and maximize cost-effective electricity generation. Economic analysis used multiple funding options, including investment by an independent power producer (IPP), Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), and Energy Conservation Investment Program (ECIP), and considered tax incentives, renewable energy credits, and other economic factors to reveal the most realistic costs possible. Where resource options proved to be economically viable, implementation approaches were recommended. The intention was to focus each installation’s efforts on realistic projects, moving them from initial assessment through the design and financing to implementation. Many Army sites enjoy very low costs of electricity, limiting the number of cost-effective renewable energy options where resources are available. Waste-to-energy was often a viable option due to the additional revenue gathered from transferred tipping fees. GSHPs were also commonly cost-effective options for replacement in inefficient buildings. Geothermal, wind, and solar resources are found to be more available in certain parts of the country over others, reducing overall potential for use. Wind is variable and often most available in remote areas far from transmission lines, greatly increasing costs. Capital costs for solar energy are high, and the resource is also variable. Table 1 shows which resources are promising for each installation studied. Not all analyses are complete at this point, so some resource potential is still unknown.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 979862
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-61859; 400403209; TRN: US201011%%431
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings of the World Energy Engineering Congress
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
AVAILABILITY
BIOMASS
CAPITALIZED COST
CHARGES
DESIGN
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRICITY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
FINANCING
FOCUSING
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
IMPLEMENTATION
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
PRICES
REMOTE AREAS
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
SCHEDULES
SOLAR ENERGY
US DOD
renewable energy
wind
solar
biomass
waste to energy
ground source heat pumps
army
geothermal