Samuel Booth

Targeting Net Zero Energy at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar: Assessment and Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest energy consumer in the U.S. government. Present energy use impacts DoD global operations by constraining freedom of action and self-sufficiency, demanding enormous economic resources, and putting many lives at risk in logistics support for deployed environments. There are many opportunities for DoD to more effectively meet energy requirements through a combination of human actions, energy efficiency technologies, and renewable energy resources. In 2008, a joint initiative was formed between DoD and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to address military energy use. This initiative created a task force comprised of representatives from each branch of the military, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to examine the potential for ultra high efficiency military installations. This report presents an assessment of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, selected by the task force as the initial prototype installation based on its strong history of energy advocacy and extensive track record of successful energy projects.

Planning Tools to Simulate and Optimize Neighborhood Energy Systems

This section introduces different energy modeling tools available in Europe and the USA for community energy master planning process varying from strategic Urban Energy Planning to more detailed Local Energy Planning. Two modeling tools used for Energy Master Planning of primarily residential communities, the 3D city model with CityGML, and the Net Zero Planner tool developed for the US Department of Defense installations are described in more details.

Renewable Energy Options and Considerations for Net Zero Installations

This chapter focuses on renewable energy options for military installations. It discusses typical renewable technologies, project development, and gives examples. Renewable energy can be combined with conventional energy sources to provide part or all of the energy demand at an installation. The appropriate technology mix for an installation will depend on site-specific factors such as renewable resources, energy costs, local energy policies and incentives, available land, mission compatibility, and other factors. The objective of this chapter is to provide basic background information and resources on renewable energy options for NATO leaders and energy personnel.

Lessons Learned from the US Army Net Zero Energy Program for NATO Installations

The US Army has been a leader in developing net zero installations. This chapter provides lessons learned from the Army program to support NATO installations with their net zero energy efforts.

Net Zero Energy Analysis Approach for Military Installations

Net zero energy is a concept of energy self-sufficiency based on minimized demand and use of local renewable energy resources. A net zero energy military installation is defined as: “A military installation that produces as much energy on-site from renewable energy generation or through the on-site use of renewable fuels, as it consumes in its buildings, facilities, and fleet vehicles.” [1] The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind strategy for evaluating a military installation’s potential to achieve net zero energy status, including an assessment of baseline energy use, energy use reduction opportunities from efficiency or behavior changes, renewable energy generation opportunities, electrical systems analysis of renewable interconnection, microgrid potential, and transportation energy savings. This paper describes NREL’s net zero energy assessment strategy and provides a planning guide for other organizations interested in evaluating net zero potential. We also present case studies and describe lessons learned from NREL’s net zero energy assessments at seven installations, including the importance of enforcing and funding mandates, providing leadership support, collecting accurate data, and selecting appropriate technologies. Finally, we evaluate whether the net zero concept is a useful framework for analyzing an energy strategy and a reasonable goal.Copyright