Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Microgrids, Solar  -  September 10, 2020

Fort Bragg plans energy improvements, solar installation

The U.S. Army announced Sept. 3 that it will be implementing power generation and facility efficiency improvements at Fort Bragg through a utility energy service contract.

The contract was awarded by the Army to Duke Energy and Ameresco’s Federal Solutions Group, who will be installing a 1.1 MW floating solar power system and a 2 MW battery energy storage system on a remote Special Forces Training site on the base. The system will supplement power from the local grid and provide backup power in the case of utility outages.

The contract also includes the implementation of improvements to the boiler system, HVAC systems and lighting systems. The upgrades are expected to reduce site energy use by 7% and result in utility cost savings for the Army of over $2 million in the first year, which will be used to pay off the financing for the project over the term of the contract.

“With one-tenth of the Army housed at Fort Bragg, including Special Operations, Airborne and Global Response Force forces, it is imperative to provide energy security and improvements to the installation’s utility infrastructure,” Nicole Bulgarino, Ameresco Executive Vice President and General Manager of Federal Solutions, said in a statement. “We’re eager to get to work installing these energy saving and resiliency measures across Fort Bragg and to support the readiness of the U.S. Army by maintaining a continuous power supply at this critical installation.”

Construction is expected to begin on the project in November.

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