Renewable Energy Could Supply U.S. Army with Clean Water, Power & Agriculture-

On top of the dangers of fighting a war against a terrorist-ridden nation, a huge challenge for the soldiers in Afghanistan is obtaining power, clean water and diesel fuel for military bases around the rural countryside. Soldiers sent out to gather clean water and refuel are put at major risk of attack. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been working in Afghanistan to develop other sources of power to diminish the necessity of such trips — which are costly, dangerous and sometimes deadly. The NREL reports that many soldiers are pushing to implement renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to offer dependable electricity — as power generators are not always efficient. The nation of Afghanistan has abundant sunlight and plenty of open ground to build solar photovoltaic arrays; however, with bomb-wielding terrorist organizations lurking in the shadows, its tough to obtain money to erect such costly technologies. If implemented, solar power could be used to supply hot water and electricity for the bases. Not to mention, it could also power deep wells that would allow soldiers to obtain clean water. Once the soldiers vacate the areas, the PV arrays could be hooked up the a smart grid system to provide renewable energy to local residents. The NREL scientists are also working on technologies to generate power from the waste the base produces.