Intelligent Micro-Grid system technology developed for the US Army is finding its way to the private commercial sector, even as the army continues to guide further research and development enhancements.
Seeking to eliminate diesel generators, the army awarded Arista Power Inc - a startup manufacturer, designer, and integrator of renewable energy generation, management, and distribution systems - a nearly million-dollar development contract in January 2012 for phase one development of a new Intelligent Micro-Grid.
The system falls under the aegis of the Renewable Energy for Distributed Under-Supplied Command Environments programme, guided by the US Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center.
Arista Power delivered the initial Intelligent Micro-Grid to the army and demonstrated the system at the US Department of Defense (DoD) during the Pentagon's Energy Security Event in October 2012. The second phase, also a nearly million-dollar contract, was awarded to the company later that October and is intended to further develop the capacity, scalability, and energy behaviour management capabilities of the Intelligent Micro-Grid.
The programme includes options for additional funding for continued development beyond the second phase.
Now, Arista Power has received a fourth order for its new Mobile Renewable Power Station (MRPS) - which it developed for the army as a power source for its Intelligent Micro-Grid - from "a US government agency", the company said on 8 January.
An Arista Power spokeswoman said the agency that put in the order, which includes an extended support agreement, "has requested to not be identified". In its announcement the company said: "The system will be used to power communications equipment in a remote location where energy security and reliability is considered mission critical."
Mark Matthews, Arista Power's vice-president for sales and marketing, added: "Our system is a preferable alternative to using diesel generators in the field, and not only results in fuel savings for the US government, but also reduces the additional logistical cost required to provide fossil fuel to remote locations on a regular basis."
The new order is Arista Power's fourth MRPS, starting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in June 2011 and the army in October 2011.
Arista Power's Renewable Power Station (RPS) and MRPS are powered by its WindTamer turbines, fuel cells, custom-designed solar energy systems, batteries, and gas generators. Its 'Power on Demand' system, also part of the Intelligent Micro-Grid, can use all of those energy inputs in conjunction with other smart monitoring technology.
The RPS is a containerised integrated, scalable, stationary system that can be drop-shipped to off-grid locations to be used as a micro-grid, while the MRPS is trailer-mounted and rugged enough to be transported to locations where off-grid power may be needed - including remote areas of the world, such as Afghanistan, where electricity may be unavailable or where there are severe power outages because of poor supply and inconsistent delivery.
With no emissions, the systems also eliminate the costly and often logistically difficult refuelling of diesel generators, a mission that has emerged as a deadly problem in Afghanistan.
"We are using some of the technology that we developed in phase one of the US Army contract on this new MRPS order, which is a goal for programmes such as these, to use the technology developed in US Army contract within other applications," explained Arista Power spokeswoman Cherrie Mahon. "We are currently working on phase two of the army contract that we were awarded and believe there will be additional follow-on phases to continue to develop the intelligent scalable micro-grid."
Matthews added: "We believe this contract demonstrates that Arista Power will be a leading partner for the Department of Defense as it moves to achieve these [energy] objectives utilising not only our engineering expertise in the development of the Intelligent Micro-Grid, but also our 'Power on Demand' peak-shaving system, our MRPS, our Man-Portable Micro Wind Turbines, and other products that deliver energy to remote locations with both renewable and traditional energy sources."
Uses of the systems are numerous, Arista Power and the army believe, and include off-grid applications such as remote locations, water pumping stations, telecommunications towers, oil and gas drilling sites, mining operations, border patrol, campsites, community centres at remote villages, disaster recovery operations, back-up for power blackouts and grid strain, remote communications towers, or battery charging stations at military bases.
Seeking to eliminate diesel generators, the army awarded Arista Power Inc - a startup manufacturer, designer, and integrator of renewable energy generation, management, and distribution systems - a nearly million-dollar development contract in January 2012 for phase one development of a new Intelligent Micro-Grid.
The system falls under the aegis of the Renewable Energy for Distributed Under-Supplied Command Environments programme, guided by the US Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center.
Arista Power delivered the initial Intelligent Micro-Grid to the army and demonstrated the system at the US Department of Defense (DoD) during the Pentagon's Energy Security Event in October 2012. The second phase, also a nearly million-dollar contract, was awarded to the company later that October and is intended to further develop the capacity, scalability, and energy behaviour management capabilities of the Intelligent Micro-Grid.
The programme includes options for additional funding for continued development beyond the second phase.
Now, Arista Power has received a fourth order for its new Mobile Renewable Power Station (MRPS) - which it developed for the army as a power source for its Intelligent Micro-Grid - from "a US government agency", the company said on 8 January.
An Arista Power spokeswoman said the agency that put in the order, which includes an extended support agreement, "has requested to not be identified". In its announcement the company said: "The system will be used to power communications equipment in a remote location where energy security and reliability is considered mission critical."
Mark Matthews, Arista Power's vice-president for sales and marketing, added: "Our system is a preferable alternative to using diesel generators in the field, and not only results in fuel savings for the US government, but also reduces the additional logistical cost required to provide fossil fuel to remote locations on a regular basis."
The new order is Arista Power's fourth MRPS, starting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in June 2011 and the army in October 2011.
Arista Power's Renewable Power Station (RPS) and MRPS are powered by its WindTamer turbines, fuel cells, custom-designed solar energy systems, batteries, and gas generators. Its 'Power on Demand' system, also part of the Intelligent Micro-Grid, can use all of those energy inputs in conjunction with other smart monitoring technology.
The RPS is a containerised integrated, scalable, stationary system that can be drop-shipped to off-grid locations to be used as a micro-grid, while the MRPS is trailer-mounted and rugged enough to be transported to locations where off-grid power may be needed - including remote areas of the world, such as Afghanistan, where electricity may be unavailable or where there are severe power outages because of poor supply and inconsistent delivery.
With no emissions, the systems also eliminate the costly and often logistically difficult refuelling of diesel generators, a mission that has emerged as a deadly problem in Afghanistan.
"We are using some of the technology that we developed in phase one of the US Army contract on this new MRPS order, which is a goal for programmes such as these, to use the technology developed in US Army contract within other applications," explained Arista Power spokeswoman Cherrie Mahon. "We are currently working on phase two of the army contract that we were awarded and believe there will be additional follow-on phases to continue to develop the intelligent scalable micro-grid."
Matthews added: "We believe this contract demonstrates that Arista Power will be a leading partner for the Department of Defense as it moves to achieve these [energy] objectives utilising not only our engineering expertise in the development of the Intelligent Micro-Grid, but also our 'Power on Demand' peak-shaving system, our MRPS, our Man-Portable Micro Wind Turbines, and other products that deliver energy to remote locations with both renewable and traditional energy sources."
Uses of the systems are numerous, Arista Power and the army believe, and include off-grid applications such as remote locations, water pumping stations, telecommunications towers, oil and gas drilling sites, mining operations, border patrol, campsites, community centres at remote villages, disaster recovery operations, back-up for power blackouts and grid strain, remote communications towers, or battery charging stations at military bases.
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