DOD Energy Tech Advance: NRL's Seawater-to-Fuel Alchemy

Sorry, it's been a while, but this news echoed something a Navy friend in Idaho told me earlier this week and I was compelled to post. It's not about transmutation of lead into gold, it's not water into wine, rather it's something far more important to US and DOD operational energy assurance: a process to turn seawater into fuel for ships and aerial vehicles.

Here's a blurb from DOD's science blog (bet you didn't know DOD had a science blog):

The potential payoff, according to the Navy, is the ability to produce fuel stock at sea or in remote locations. Aside from being convenient – utilizing resources around you for an immediate need is a benefit that speaks for itself – this will reduce the logistics tail on fuel delivery with no environmental burden. This also increases the Navy’s energy security and independence.

Vice Admiral Phil Cullom, no stranger to the DOD Energy Blog comments on what drives research like this:

We need to reinvent how we create energy, how we value energy and how we consume energy.

Seems to me the NRL researchers are turning Cullom's aspirational words into a near-term reality.  Great stuff. You can read the full post, including videos, HERE.

Image credit: "The Alchemist" by David Teniers the Younger on Wikipaintings.org

DOD Energy Follies Part 2: Middies, Zoomies, and Toilets in the Desert

Inside the Middie Dome

OK, I don't want to spend much more time on follies. Would much rather accentuate the positive. But based on feedback to the previous follies post, looks like one more is in order.

The most glaring contribution this week, pun intended, came from the Navy again, which for some reason decided to keep its stadium lights all the way on for Saturday's game vs USAFA. In the face of sequestration and the teeth of the partial government shutdown, the Air Force barely had the funds to get its folks to Annapolis.  The Navy, it seems, had money (and watts) to burn.

USN: "Save Energy Unless You Can't"

Hat tip to CAPT Jim Goudreau, Dir Navy Energy Coordination Office, for the heads-up on this brief article and apologies for the latency in getting it posted.

The Navy continues to be active in tuning its policies to more fully account for the operational constraints of fuel dependency and the wins that can be derived from more energy efficient systems and energy conserving behaviors.

From the official "Navy Live" blog:

The key ... is that energy-saving practices must evolve from “Save energy when you can” to “Save energy unless you can’t.” Institutionalizing and codifying energy savings throughout the fleet will enable us to continue meeting our national defense mission and fulfilling combatant commander requirements, while conserving vital energy resources and conserving scarce defense dollars that the Navy can apply to other priorities, such as maintenance and modernization.

Short, sweet, and comprehensively applicable to all manner of lifecycle and strategy considerations. You can read the whole post HERE.

A New TET Offensive: Navy Transportation Efficiency Breakthrough

Thanks to OSD's Ollie Fritz for flagging this. With help from the forward looking Office of Naval Research (ONR), this new rather low-tech energy saving breakthrough is called the Transportation Exploitation Tool or TET for short.

Here's an example of how it works:

Imagine a scenario where a U.S. Navy ship in a foreign port urgently needs a particular engine part to complete its mission. TET allows the user to simply enter what cargo needs to be shipped and where it’s going, and then provides the planner with all available space on transports across military and commercial sectors, with recommendations for the most efficient routes. 

Previously, planners had to search multiple databases to access all civilian and military space availability, which could require hours or even days. In the worst cases, separate flights had to be chartered.

You can read the full piece HERE.

Photo credit: Marines.mil

US Navy Set to Lauch Floating Macro Micro Grid

You can do a lot with 78 megawatts, including power 26,000 homes, for instance. Or you use it to run absolutely everything on one of the Navy's newest warships.

I'll let IEEE explain:

The Zumwalt’s propellers and drive shafts are turned by electric motors, rather than being directly attached to combustion engines. Such electric-drive systems, while a rarity for the U.S. Navy, have long been standard on big ships. What’s new and different about the one on the Zumwalt is that it’s flexible enough to propel the ship, fire railguns or directed-energy weapons (should these eventually be deployed), or [all] at the same time.

Major SPIDERS Update, Advancing Energy Security & Barbarians at the Gate

This mega post just in from Mr. Harold Sanborn, Program Manager at Construction Engineering Research Lab (CERL), US Army and technical manager for the SPIDERS Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD).  It's chock full of good news and you'll want to read it top-to-bottom to get the full picture. ab

Starting from the vantage point (30 years of civil service) that "no good idea goes unpunished" allows me the freedom to work complex problems knowing that the threat of doom comes with the territory. Being twisted and enjoying pain keeps me in the zone.

SPIDERS Phase I has finished the "history tour" as we codify and publish the lessons learned. First lesson, see sentence one... Acquisition of both Military Construction and Research and Development on the same contract at a firm fixed price (not a cost plus AFRL contract) isn't done every day. The Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) guidance for a minimum of Technology Readiness Level 6 as a pre-condition, to accelerate the deployment of technologies, while needing to leave behind a functioning, sustainable and useful real property improvement in energy security, stretches one's mind. Arguably we accomplished what we set out to do.

Conference Alert: Defense Energy Summit

You've got plenty of time for this one, but want to get it on your calendar early.  Here's the Joe Friday "just the facts, ma'am":

• Who: Headliner will be Sharon Burke,  Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs
• What: a 3-day conference and expo covering operational and installation energy issues
• When: 11-13 November, 2013
• Where: Austin, TX (venue is TBD)
• Why: GovEnergy is gone. The sequester has landed. This is a good chance for like-minded leaders and doers to get together and chart a course together for 2014 and beyond.

Also until August 8th you can submit proposals for the annual Defense Energy Challenge (DETC), which matches new energy solutions for DOD with testing and procurement opportunities.

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Conference URL
http://www.defenseenergy.com/

Photo credit: Knowsphotos on Flickr (and yes, that's a Stevie Ray Vaughan statue in the foreground. RIP.)

The Future of Naval Installation Energy is Upon Us

As projected several years ago in this great 5-minute video, paving the way for demand management, energy efficiency, microgrids, support for renewables and all manner of support-the-mission, energy security goals (with cybersecurity baked in, to boot).



From all accounts, the folks involved with this initiative are right on schedule and are meeting their objectives. Recommend you keep an eye on this.  Andy

Your Ship is Sailing: Navy Energy Forum 2011 Underway

We mentioned it earlier, but in case you missed it, and find yourself in DC with some unexpected holes in your schedule, the Naval Energy Forum is happening today and tomorrow (10/13/2011 to 10/14/2011) at the Reagan Building in DC.

The agenda includes:

• Remarks by Secretary of the Navy: New Energy Future 
• Remarks by Chief of Naval Operations 
• Affecting Culture Change: How to Create Spartan Energy Warriors 
• Retooling Our Fleet: Successes and Challenges 
• Combat Enablers: It’s About the Warfighter 
• Strategic Outlook 
• C5I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Collaboration, and Intelligence) Considerations 
• Energy Efficient Acquisition 
• Game Changing Solutions 

Click HERE for more info.

DOEPP Deal Part 3: DOD Assessment of Services Budgets for Operational Energy

We wrote earlier about the long awaited report from the Assistant Secretary of the Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs (ASDOEPP) certifying the Services budgets as regards Operational Energy. As previously, mentioned all Service budgets were certified against their own strategies. The last post covered the Army's certification. The following is a synopsis of the findings by Component for the Navy, Marines and Air Force.

The Air Forces’ plan is different from the other Services in that they seek “other than Materiel solutions such as changes in Doctrine, Organization, Training, Leadership and Education, Personnel, and Facilities as the means to attain their goals. They are using techniques such as: optimizing aircraft centers of gravity, diplomatic cleared routing, European routing, and aircraft crew ratios which should provide $59M in savings in 2012. The use of simulators garners a whopping $368M. The USAF hopes to save a total of $494M over FY2012. A half a billion dollars in savings will turn heads, even in the Pentagon. What the Air Force knows is that the cheapest, cleanest, most secure electron is the one you don’t use.

As for their plan to purchase 50% of their domestic aviation fuel via alternative fuel blend at cost competitive rates, the only thing lacking is alternative fuel blend at cost competitive rates. If Solazyme or Amyris has to compete with Shell Aviation, Texaco or Chevron I am not sure of their chances. And if I am a big fuel provider, how much loss can I take before the other guy breaks? The Air Force has done a great job of certifying their aircraft, but getting alternative fuels that can compete on cost maybe a stretch. As long as all fuels are receiving subsidies, to include fossil fuels, the playing field is not level. Of course if the price of oil continues to go up, all bets are off!

The Air Force is green on Increasing Supply and Expeditionary Base Efforts. Reducing Demand gets a yellow rating due to challenges in monitoring and measuring efforts and work on improving legacy systems. Their budget for FY2012 is certified.

This annual report has the potential to provide a guiding hand for the Services in a way that is not intrusive or dictatorial. What is not clear is what would happen if a Service budget is not certified in accordance with a DoD strategy? If the forthcoming DoD Operational Energy strategy assigns responsibilities, and provides authorities (resources) then this report will serve as the accountability mechanism. If there is no penalty for failure to certify, then all they will have is hard feelings or a report that is all rosy. Neither outcome is useful. Dan Nolan

Mar 16 Update: DOD Moving Out on Japan Relief Operations

Mar 16: Here come the Marines! Further coverage in Journal today.

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This article from the Wall Street Journal does a good job describing our initial rapid response with strong representation from the 7th Fleet (Navy) and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and Washington states' Lewis-McChord (Air Force) so far.

Photo credit: DVIDSHUB on Flickr.com.

p.s. While this picture was taken during happier times, the Flickr site listed here already has some great shots of our folks in action, helping out in Japan right now. Recommend you check it out.

Green Hawk 6 Reports

The Honorable Ray Mabus, green hawk extraordinaire, and SecNavy, provides an update of Navy efforts to achieve their very aggressive goals. He lays out four examples of how the Navy is progressing towards their five goals. What is impressive is not just what has been accomplished. What is impressive is that the Secretary is reporting, personally, to the Navy and the Nation. What is required to achieve DOD's energy security goals is leadership. Mabus delivers. Read on.

Mabus and Anderson Rock NPR

DoD Energy leadership, in and outside the institution, are of continued interest to the public at large. The impact of the Department’s efforts are recognized and appreciated. Two recent interviews on NPR’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow featured Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (pictured) and BG(R) Steve Anderson.

Mabus is well known for his aggressive stance on energy for the Navy and Anderson was the champion of energy demand reduction when he served as GEN Petraus’ senior loggie. Steve worked tirelessly to find ways to reduce fuel use by finding the best approaches to reduce electricity requirements and therefore get trucks off the road.

The interview is available here. Certainly worth a listen. Steve Anderson makes me look shy and retiring when it comes to his critique of current policy. Keep up the fire!

Conference Alert: Navy Energy Forum 2010

It's coming up fast, and this year's theme is "Seapower Repowered: Energy as a Force Multiplier and Strategic Resource." Hosted by Navy Task Force Energy and NDIA, this event will "emphasize the importance of energy to the warfighter for enhanced combat capability" and will bring together Navy, defense, federal, and industry leaders.

• When: October 12-13, 2010
• Where: Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, DC 
• What: The detailed agenda is posted HERE
• How: Online registration for the Navy Energy Forum has been extended until today, Monday, October 4, at 5 pm EST. Click HERE to register at NDIA and then for the conference

Note: the registration fee will increase beginning Tuesday, October 5. After Monday, you must bring your filled out registration form onsite to the Reagan Building to register in person. The registration desk will open at 7:15 am on Tuesday, October 12.

Photo credit: USS Ronald Reagan on Flickr.com

Improved Posture: Services Increasingly Speaking with One Voice on Energy Priorities

Trickle up has become trickle down as calls for more attention to energy issues from low-to-mid ranking voices in the operational wilderness are now Service "posture statements" issued by the most senior of senior leaders.

The FY 11 Service Secretary posture statements are issued after the budget is presented to Congress by the President. Each is a 25-30 page statement of “needs” or “hot button” priority items that the Service Secretaries want Congress to know about the DOD budget.

What follows are the energy excerpts from each service's posture statement. While the Air Force has had energy language for a couple of years, this appear to be the first time all the services had something to say on energy. You'll note some interesting parallels and alignment, among them.

Army

Energy security is a key component of Army installations, weapons systems, and operations. The Army has developed a comprehensive energy security strategy, and is acting now to implement initiatives to make us less dependent on foreign sources of fuel and better stewards of our nation’s energy resources. In support of these goals, we fielded the largest hybrid vehicle fleet within the Department of Defense. Energy will continue to be a key consideration in all Army activities in order to reduce demand, increase efficiency, seek alternative sources, and create a culture of energy accountability, while sustaining or enhancing operational capabilities.

Navy

In order to meet our readiness challenges, the Department is working to develop greater energy independence and conservation ashore and afloat. Energy costs siphon resources away from vital areas. The potential for disruption and the possible vulnerability of energy supplies could threaten our ability to perform on the battlefield. The Department of the Navy has made good progress in increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and capitalizing on renewable energy sources. We are the Department of Defense lead for solar, geothermal, and ocean energy, and today, 17% of our total energy requirements are provided through alternative or renewable sources. The Navy and Marine Corps can, and should, do more. As we continue to increase conservation and develop alternative energy options, the Department of the Navy can mitigate the impact of energy volatility, use energy as a strategic resource for operational advantage, and become a leader in environmental stewardship.

Air Force

As part of our institutional effort to consider energy management in all that we do, the Air Force requests $250 million for energy and water conservation projects in FY11. This investment will ensure we meet the President’s efficiency goals by 2015. In FY10, the Air Force finalized an energy plan that directs the development and use of reliable alternative energy resources, and reduces the life-cycle costs of acquisition programs. Additionally, the plan recognizes that aviation operations account for over 80 percent of the energy used by the Air Force each year, and directs Airmen and mission planners to continue managing aviation fuel as an increasingly scarce resource.

It's great to see the emerging awareness that smarter energy strategies can be a mission enhancing advantage:

• Army - "... create a culture of energy accountability, while sustaining or enhancing operational capabilities."
• Navy - "... use energy as a strategic resource for operational advantage."

Big thanks to Mike Aimone for making this post possible.

Federal Energy Dynamic Duo: Navy and Ag Team on Energy Efficiency and Renewables

2009 was the year things really started to percolate, and though it's still January, DOD energy activities are off to a fast start. We'll be getting another energy audit update from Afghanistan soon, this time time focusing on Air Force ops and facilities.

Meanwhile, the Navy keeps up its leadership and momentum with an innovate partnership with one of the large Federal organizations that's most forward thinking on energy matters: the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Today Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing their folks to cooperation and collaboration on a number of fronts, including:

1. Share technical, program management, and financial expertise in actions undertaken by the Parties in support of renewable energy projects, pilots, and programs
2. Cooperate in developing a mutually reinforcing strategy and plans to implement renewable energy programs, pilots, and initiatives
3. Collaborate on funding and execution of applicable elements to projects, to the extent permitted by existing regulations and authorities
4. Support establishment of evaluation and implementation venues which develop advanced biofuels and renewable energy processes that are sustainable from an economic, social, as well as environmental perspective

It will be fascinating to watch what comes out of this unique relationship. Will be keeping an eye on it and will share updates as they become available.

Photo Credit: USN's 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien

It's More than Academic: Expeditionary Fuel Savings = a Better US Military

Guess what officers are researching these days as part of their graduate work? That's right, operational energy. Here are the two of the more recent ones I've seen:

• "NPS Graduate Thesis: Cost Benefit Analysis of Integrated COTS energy-related technologies for Army's Force Provider Module" by LCDR Allen Rivera, SC, USN (Sep 2009). PDF here
• "Reducing Battlefield Fuel Demand:. Mitigating a Marine Corp Critical Vulnerability" by Major William B. Fenwick, USMC (Mar 2009). PDF here

Rivera's paper documents some extensive work done in conjunction with the Soldier Systems unit at Natick, MA testing the value propositions of improved lighting and insulation tech. Guess which category offers the bigger energy bang for the buck?

Fenwick's strategy paper focuses on the disconnect between expeditionary missions and the sobering limitations of current energy logistics.

Photo Credit: CarbonNYC / David Goehring @ Flickr

Year in Review: Top 10 DOD Energy Events of 2009

Not sure if you'll agree, but from my vantage point, this was the first year that merits a DOD Energy top ten. Folks who've been at this enterprise a long time, like Tom Morehouse and Chris DiPetto at OSD (and a small handful of others in the Services), have been doing energy grunt work without a heck of a lot of support or credit (that's my take, not theirs). Over the past decade there have been isolated wins and signs of improvement, but nothing sustained.

But this year something changed, and I have to give credit to the increasing strength of the convoy connection. It's finally shown everyone that being smart and proactive on energy issues isn't the domain of Birkenstock wearing, granola eating, tree hugging peace-nicks. The clear (and easy to understand and communicate) link between fuel convoys and 1) causalities, 2) costs, and 3) mission degradation.

I'm sure I'm leaving a lot out (that's a good thing). But without further adieu, here's the list for the year, in no particular order:

1. Gigantic Army solar installation off the ground at Fort Irwin in California's Mojave Desert to advance conversation beyond Nellis. Score - Fort Irwin: 500+ Megawatts, Nellis AFB: 14 Megawatts
2. Boeing's high tech, super efficient 787 Dreamliner finally flew. Basis for future tanker/transport? 
3. Convoy lessons brought the concept of proactive energy planning fully out of its Birkenstock phase ... for everyone.
4. Energy audits in Afghanistan commence with Marines. It's called MEAT, for Marine Energy Assessment Team, see here and here. 
5. Like DARPA to advance US space tech post Sputnik, ARPA-E's mission is to turbocharge US competitiveness in energy tech (ET).
6. 3 of the 4 Services hold major confs exclsively on energy issues. The Navy version in particular generated a huge amount of great info.
7. The first Military Operational Research Society (MORS) workshop on power and energy brought analysts together to advance thinking on energy security and energy metrics in requirements and logistics planning process. We're expecting some out-brief artifacts soon.
8. Energy war games all over the place, including NDU and GovEnergy and more.
9. Candidate to fill the long-open Director for Operational Energy Plans and Programs (DOEPP) position finally nominated.
10. Self promotion alert: my paper on operational energy metrics got published by NDU/JFQ.

I believe we've got the Mo now, and 2010 promises to build on 2009 with international conferences on military energy with the UK's MOD and others, more energy audits and tactical renewables deployments in theater, and a DOEPP approved and up and running, connecting DOD energy islands by providing leadership and strategy from the center. I'm looking forward to seeing this play out, and will cover it all here ... after a short break. Happy Holidays to all !!!

Conference Update: American Society of Naval Engineers' Energy Futures Symposium

Update: ASNE has been been rescheduled and will be held 23-24 February 2009.

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At the Naval Energy Forum in October, Secretary of the Navy Mabus issued a set of ambitious new goals to boost the Navy and Marine Corps' energy efficiency, including the goal of sailing a carrier strike group on biofuel dubbed "the Great Green Fleet." Saying he was committing "the Navy and Marine Corps to meet bold, ambitious goals," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced five energy targets.

The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) and Navy Task Force Energy announce the ASNE Energy Futures Symposium being held December 8-9, 2009, at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, that will bring together experts and decision-makers from the U.S. Navy as well as government, industry, and academic institutions to discuss the new targets and technologies to help achieve them.

Program includes:

• Future Energy Security Plenary Session with RADM Phil Cullom, N43
• Energy Futures Presentation and Panel Discussion
• Fuels Panel-Achieving 50% Alternative Fuels by 2020
• Inter-agency Panel

The Navy is really turning up the volume on energy this year. Get there if you can. For more information, please go to the Energy Futures Symposium Homepage.

DOD Solar Facilities Build Out Beginning in Sunny Places

Its solar wall notwithstanding, Alaska's Elmendorf AFB going to have to wait for large scale solar thermal or photovoltaics. Going well beyond current LEED sustainability standards, the Navy is pushing the envelope on net zero buildings and communities in Hawaii. Follow this DOE link to read about a significant DOD housing implementation called Forest City in Honolulu.

As for the Air Force, not one to rest on its 14 MW Nevada/Nellis AFB laurels, up next is 6 more MWs in Arizona at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Meanwhile, as you should know by now, the Army is making progress on its whopper (500 MW - 1 GW) of a solar deployment in the Mojave desert at Fort Irwin in CA.

Photo Credit: DOE EERE