From solar power to hybrid grids -- different nations talk about smart energy technologies that NATO is testing to reduce its fossil fuel footprint.
NATO is testing new energy-saving technologies to make the military more efficient, save money and reduce reliance on fossil fuels when in the field. At the Smart Energy Training and Assessment Camp (SETAC), soldiers and civilians from five NATO nations (Canada, France, Italy, Lithuania and the United States) are working together in the fields of solar, hybrid, LED lighting, energy metering, and water purification and portable solar arrays and battery systems. The SETAC concept is deployed as part of the multinational Exercise Capable Logistician 2019, a regular exercise for NATO and partner nations to test interoperability and assess NATO standards. Footage includes shots of different smart energy technologies and interviews with a NATO energy security officer, contributing nations’ military personnel and civilian specialists.
Transcript
1. (00:00) SOUNDBITE (POLISH) – COLONEL WITOLD BARTOSZEK, BASE COMMANDER DRAWSKO POMOSKIE TRAINING GROUND, POLISH ARMED FORCES. “During the Capable Logistician exercise, Poland, as the host nation, is getting familiar with technology showcased by the Smart Energy NATO agency. One of the innovations is a solar-powered tent. From a military and decision-making point of view, for example that of a Logistics Support Group commander, it offers important temporary solutions when troops are deployed abroad, where the host nation is not functioning, and fuel supplies are in danger and erratic. In such circumstances solar power can be used systematically.” (00:47) SOUNDBITE (ITALIAN) – AIRMAN FIRST CLASS SALVATORE ROSARIO MONTANO, ITALIAN AIR FORCE “Veragon V12 Military is a highly important new-generation machine that is capable of producing drinking water using only the humidity in the air. It’s an automated system that, after producing water, stores it in a reservoir inside the machine and through a filtration and mineralisation circuit produces drinking water. It is very important for smart energy because we don’t use any water sources, we only use the humidity present in the air.” 2. (01:25) SOUNDBITE (ITALIAN) – GIUSEPPE GIRELLI, ENGINEER, GNG PARTNERS “Our system is made up of three main elements: low-energy consumption tents. With our system and a special material developed with the manufacturer in seven, eight years of field testing, we’ve been able to cut the energy costs of air conditioning and cooling the tent in half. Second step is the photovoltaic panels. Light and flexible, they can be deployed easily on all structures, both our own and the competition’s. Third element is the power box. A flexible processing unit that transforms energy from the photovoltaic panels into electrical energy. If production exceeds the connected loads, the energy is stored in a lithium battery.” 3. (02:35) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) – LIETENANT COLONEL LAURENT GUERIN, FRENCH AIR FORCE “So on the Water MILU (Multinational Integrated Logistic support Unit) we currently have a hybrid generator on a trailer whose advantage is naturally to be easy to deploy and especially to be very mobile. The advantage of this system is that it actually allows us to have power, during periods of low-energy consumption of the Water MILU, in our command tents, i.e. the lighting and computer area, without having to turn on a 45-kVA thermal generator.” 4. (03:10) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – MARTIN KEGEL, RESEARCH ENGINEER CanmetENERGY – NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA “One of the interesting benefits that we’ve seen is that the shelter systems here are able to maintain a much more comfortable climate, much more cooler climate and it can reduce almost the energy consumption required by a tent by 50 per cent. That’s something that we’ve been able to measure and see. “People will realise that there are other options out there and look at different aspects going beyond just maybe the first cost but looking at the other benefits that this plays in reducing the diesel dependency on these deployed camps.” 5. (03:59) SOUNDBITE (GERMAN) – DR SUSANNE MICHAELIS, ENERGY SECURITY OFFICER, NATO “With NATO Smart Energy we try to reduce fossil fuel consumption for our armed forces. “So, with less fossil fuel we have fewer environmental problems and that’s our goal. It is like a “win-win” solution for NATO and for the nations.” “For example climate change. Whether one believes in it or not is irrelevant. Armed forces are right now very frequently in the field as first humanitarian aid responders to natural disasters.” “In most cases of natural disasters we have floods, over-flooding. The water is dirty, the victims can’t drink this water, they’ll become sick and they need therefore drinking water that can be produced there in the field.” “When we can now build an energy-efficient drinking water processing plant, which the military can bring with them, then they’re robust, “soldier-proofed”, they work with photovoltaic panels and they can help the victims much better than a huge military system that needs to be transported around the world and uses lots of electricity.” “So what I’m expecting after CL19 (Capable Logistician 2019) is that many militaries and indeed higher militaries can see these technologies and the interoperability of these technologies, talk about them and that a mindset change comes.”
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