NAVY SECRETARY ANNOUNCES RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTRACT AWARDED

FROM:  U.S. NAVY 

SECNAV Announces Contract for Navy Photovoltaic Array Project

Story Number: NNS140725-01Release Date: 7/25/2014 8:05:00 AM 

By the Navy Chief of Information Office

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded a contract to Pacific Energy Solutions LLC, for the procurement of electricity produced from renewable energy generation systems.

Pacific Energy Solutions, based out of Boca Raton, Florida, will design, construct, own, operate and maintain various solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems that will provide renewable electricity to Navy and Marine Corps bases on Oahu, Hawaii. The total amount of power generated is anticipated to be about 17 megawatts of alternating current that will be shared between the Navy and Marine Corps.

"This is a large project with 10 roof top photovoltaic systems and four ground-based or elevated systems, built on three different bases," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. "In the first year alone we expect that these systems will save the taxpayers $1.6 million. That's the equivalent of the electricity that can be generated from 54,000 barrels of oil here in Hawaii. It's the amount of electricity needed to power more than 5,000 average homes here. And that's just in the first year. This program will be generating those savings for decades. The work we are doing here will serve as a model for other projects around the world."

The sites under this task order include: three roof tops and one ground mount location on Waipio Peninsula at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH); six roof tops and two elevated PV structures at Marine Corps Base Hawaii; and one roof top and one elevated PV structure at Camp Smith, Aiea.

"This project signals the Navy's largest photovoltaic array in the Pacific, and a significant step toward achieving our renewable energy goals," said NAVFAC Pacific Commander Rear Adm. Bret Muilenburg. "Renewable energy initiatives are paramount to enabling the Navy and Marine Corps to improve energy security and efficiency ashore, and operational reach afloat. In addition, we are very proud to be partnering with Pacific Energy Solutions as we work to execute this substantial investment."

Once constructed, the PV systems will deliver renewable energy for a term of 25 years. The construction of the PV systems is expected to take 12 months.

NAVY COMPLETES THIN-FILM SOLAR SYSTEM

FROM: U.S. NAVY

20501-N-YZ910-002 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 1, 2012) Some of the 2,534 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the roof of Naval Air Station Jacksonville's Hangar 1122 to help reduce the building's conventional energy usage and promote environmental sustainability. (U.S. Navy Photo by Clark Pierce/Released)

　

NAVFAC Far East, CFAY Complete Navy's Largest Thin-Film Solar System

By Ron Inman, NAVFAC Far East Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Far East and Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) have installed the largest building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system in the U.S. Navy, which became operational, July 19.

According to CFAY Public Works Department Yokosuka Energy Manager Tom Bawden, more than 1,500 250-watt solar modules were installed which will cumulatively generate up to 396 kilowatts of peak output direct current solar energy on the roof of CFAY's Commissary and Navy Exchange.

"This solar energy feeds directly into CFAY's electric grid," said Bawden. "The modules are copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) technology and are made into flexible solar panels - 'thin film' - that were attached to our, otherwise, unusable curved roof. The adhesive used for the CIGS modules adds a layer of insulation to the building that further reduces heating and cooling energy loss through the roof, providing additional energy savings.

"Also, since it's a multi-layered, waterproof system placed on top of the existing roof, it will extend the useful life of the roof," Bawden continued. "CFAY is proud to be taking such a large leap forward for energy conservation and establishing sustainable infrastructure."

Construction of the BIPV system began in October 2011 and was completed in July 2012. It began producing energy for CFAY July 19.

Bawden explained that the system will produce its maximum kilowatt electricity output during the middle of hot sunny days, which is highly advantageous since CFAY's peak demand typically occurs at the same time.

"To put the energy savings into perspective, the system will generate enough power annually to provide approximately 20 million mobile phone minutes, or power approximately 80 average U.S. homes in California," Bawden added. "When the system is operating at full capacity, it can provide roughly 1 percent of CFAY's energy requirement.

"The project not only moves CFAY towards satisfying the Federal renewable energy mandates and Navy goals, but installing a larger BIPV system takes advantage of economies of scale to produce greater electricity output per unit cost," explained Bawden. "For a base with limited space, utilizing the unused rooftop spaces of some larger facilities for BIPV projects allows CFAY to capture this additional energy-generating opportunity without negatively impacting the mission of the tenant commands or the installation."

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus laid out five aggressive energy goals in October 2009 to improve the Department of the Navy's (DoN) energy security and efficiency, increase its energy independence and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy. This initiative assists in achieving DoN's energy goal of increasing alternative energy afloat and ashore by 2020, producing at least 50 percent of shore-based energy requirements from alternative sources and having 50 percent of DoN installations achieve net-zero energy status - meaning that they have zero net energy consumption and produce zero carbon emissions annually.