A new report finds that the U.S. military has over 130 MW of installed solar capacity across 31 states, with a 1.1 GW more to be added by 2017.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report – “Enlisting the Sun: Powering the U.S. Military with Solar Energy” – looks at the use of solar across the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force both in the U.S. and abroad.
According to the SEIA, over 130 MW of solar PV systems power Navy, Army and Air Force bases in at least 31 states and the District of Columbia. These installations generate enough electricity to power 22,000 homes.
The U.S. Department of Defense is one of the world’s largest energy users, and solar is contributing greatly to the DOD’s goal of meeting 25 percent of its energy needs with renewable resources by 2025.
Credit: SEIA
“These aggressive renewable energy targets are a response to rising energy costs, potential energy supply disruptions and the need for more secure and clean energy generation and distribution,” says the report.
The Navy has installed the most solar, with 58 MW of capacity across 12 states and D.C.; the Air Force has 38 MW of installed capacity, and the Army has over 36 MW of installed solar.
“Solar clearly is making a big difference – both on the front lines and in military installations from North Carolina to Hawaii,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “Many of the technologies being used by the military today have been adapted for use from consumer products.”
What’s more, the current solar capacity is just the beginning; solar PV makes up 58 percent of the Defense Department’s renewable energy additions from 2012 ot 2017. That’s about 1.1 GW of new projects in the pipeline.
“Solar energy is playing an increasingly important role in making the U.S. military’s energy supply more secure, more affordable and less reliant on foreign sources,” says the report.
