Later this year, Company I of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, based at Camp Pendleton, California will deploy to Afghanistan equipped with solar powered systems, LED lights and solar powered light trailers. This move is in an effort to shorten a long and expensive logistic trail and in line with the Pentagon's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in three years.
Besides the solar power systems, the Marines of Company I will also be using LED lights, which are more durable and longer lasting than fluorescent tubes. The company will also deploy solar-powered light trailers designed to illuminate areas such as checkpoints after dark. The timer-operated trailers can run continuously for 12 hours when fully charged by the sun.
The other concern is cutting the military’s logistical needs for forces scattered across Afghanistan’s often inhospitable terrain. Wired notes that according to operational estimates released in 2009, a single soldier in Afghanistan uses 22 gallons of fuel a day, and delivering each gallon to the war zone costs between $300 and $400.
Makes sense to me that the government would be actively utilizing the most abundant renewable energy source available in Afghanistan, THE SUN to prove power and light for our troops. Glad to hear technology is improving with the appropriate gear needed to make this happen.
You can read more at my blog Buy Solar Powered Lights.
Talk soon,
Jill Olsen
