Fort Carson is home to 19,000 military personnel, and with a base that big, there is a lot of demand for energy. The government is spearheading an initiative to install a solar power system at the base that will produce 3,200 MWh every year.
For the Army, this isn’t the first venture with solar power, but it is the largest to date. Previous solar projects included military uniforms that have built-in solar panels to reduce the amount of batteries and supplies needed in the field. The Fort Carson solar array takes up 12 acres of land, making it the most aggressive solar effort undertaken by the army to date.
The microgrid will supply energy to the base, and will also be used to charge the batteries of electric trucks that are used by personnel on base. The vehicles have batteries with large capacities, and charging them on the grid gives the military much-needed information about how these trucks could perform in the field for both combat and training.
The Army is looking at innovative technology that can cut costs and enable soldiers to do their jobs better and more efficiently. Military leaders stress that solar energy and their renewables are valuable to their missions as well as their budgets.
Of course, if the solar power system is good enough for the military, it should be good enough for homeowners across the country. As the government sees more advantages to this renewable power source, more and more private citizens will hopefully take action and make the switch to solar power as well.