The US military is looking into using solar powered tents to power essential gear. In fact, the military has already created some of these tents, which utilize Flexible Photovoltaics technology, and they have been deployed in places like Afghanistan.
“They are ideal for charging up batteries, making sure your [communications], night vision goggles and computers are powered up. You don’t want a generator on top of a mountain, and you don’t want to have to bring fuel to a generator or haul batteries,” Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, explained.
Three different types of tents are being evaluated, capable of generating anywhere from 200 to 800 watts of power. The tents vary in size, but each uses flexible solar panels as a way to gather energy. And while they’re still in the evaluation phase, it looks like the widespread use of these tents is all but assured.
“The technology has reached the point where the testing has shown they [solar-powered tents] are proven,” said Hammack. “Our teams have worked on the inverters and the durability of the systems. The durability of the tent covers has evolved to a point where we would like to see more of them deployed.”
Via Inhabitat
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