Office of Naval Research Develops Solar Battery System for Marines

The Office of Naval Research has made groundbreaking developments for soldiers working in the Arabian Desert. These new technologies will allow US soldiers to harness solar power in order to generate power for their field equipment.

The Advanced Power Generation Future Naval Capabilities programme, part of the Office of Naval Research, has been working to develop the Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy System (GREENS) which allows Marines to use the sun’s rays to charge their field packs.

The 300 Watt battery system allows Marines to retain continuous power while out in the field by collecting the sun’s energy all day long in the hot desert. The Marine ground units require a constant power source to run their target systems, computing devices, and communications. GREENS will also be able to cut Marine fuel consumption as well as the risk of ambushed for supply trucks.

Justin Govar, a chemical engineer on the Expeditionary Power System Office, said that usually the Marine Corp is fighting in regions which are quite remote, which makes it difficult for envoys to reach them. A lot of fuel, batteries, and other supplies make for a heavy logistical burden.

The project was completed rather quickly taking only a year from initial conception to complete development. Now GREENS are delivering trustworthy DC and AC power to remote postings which previously needed risky convoys to supply them with batteries and other supplies.

Now Marines are able to operate their technology without reliance on generators. Tests were carried out in the Naval Air Warfare center at China Lake in California, which best matches the same temperatures seen in the Arabian Desert. Despite extreme heat the system could still provide 85% for the rated energy needed.