The MSP photovoltaic prototype, fitted to a standard USMC issue backpack, includes a 10.5-inch x 15.5-inch solar panel able to generate more than 11 Watts under 1-sun air mass (AM) of 1.5 illumination. (Photo by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Electronics Science and Technology Division are working to help the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) reduce expeditionary energy supply needs and risks and increase the effectiveness of forward deployed forces.

“One of the most significant challenges currently facing the Marine Corps is the need to supply sufficient electricity to individual Marines in forward operating bases,” said Robert Walters, head, NRL Solid State Devices Branch. “Mobile photovoltaics are a technology that can address these needs by leveraging emerging, flexible, high efficiency photovoltaic technology.”

The military’s need to reduce both fuel and battery resupply is a real time requirement for increasing combat effectiveness and decreasing vulnerability.  The overarching objective of the USMC Expeditionary Energy Strategy is to increase operational energy efficiency on the battlefield through the combination of on-installation alternative energy production and energy demand reduction.

This subsequently is projected to reduce fuel consumed, per Marine, per day, by 50 percent and reduce total weight of batteries carried by nearly 200 thousand pounds.

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