Marines recruit a few good solar panels

Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy System (GREENS) is basically a solar panel system designed to help reduce the logistical supply chain for fuel in Afghanistan and Iraq. "There are two pieces to the program," said Dr. Michele Anderson, the Office of Naval Research program officer responsible for the effort. "One is a hardware demonstrator that is a hybrid photovoltaic battery system to enable the Marine Corps to use solar energy."

"The other piece is a tool kit," Anderson continued. "In other words, a Marine can enter into the GREENS computer what their expected mission profile is, and it will tell them which components of the GREENS system to pull out and take with them in order to provide their renewable power needs."

Justin Govar, a chemical engineer for the Expeditionary Power Systems Office at Marine Corps Systems Command, agreed. "Within the Marine Corps, we are fighting in areas that are remote, and require very difficult logistical convoys to get to," Govar said. "And there is a lot of fuel and other types of batteries and power systems that have a heavy logistical burden."

Physorg.com ran a story on the system which includes a short video:

http://www.physorg.com/news179501481.html