Gaining Energy Independence in the Fleet by Integrating Renewable Sources, System Efficiencies, and Life Cycle Maintenance Plans

摘要

Cultural shifts in the global energy sectors have resulted in more investment in renewable energy including solar, wind, and geothermal sources. Offshore wind energy is a specific renewable source that has incredible potential. The technical areas that are most important to the success of the offshore wind industry in the United States are similar to those that have guided ship operational strategies, design programs and life cycle maintenance policies in the U.S. Navy. Through collaboration, the U.S. Navy's expertise can be leveraged by the renewable energy industry giving the Navy the opportunity to contribute to the nation's energy security and independence efforts on a wider scale. Achieving the highest levels of ship efficiency and reducing energy demands requires novel approaches to the development of individual power system areas. It also requires refinement of minor and major ship components in parallel with the development of maintenance concepts, operating profiles and system capabilities that drive the energy footprint of ships. Total ship concepts such as the Integrated Power System (IPS) offer design efficiency improvements while maintaining operational flexibility in support of variations in ship platform missions. The Navy has both direct and indirect opportunities to support the nation in achieving energy independence through two primary objectives: reducing energy demands and increasing renewable energy capacity. The Navy has yet to take advantage of the direct gains that would be realized through U.S. offshore wind energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and the expansion of marine construction, repair and supply chain infrastructure to support a more domestically capable offshore wind industry. Further indirect opportunities exist where the principles of gaining ship efficiencies are applied to the advanced development of offshore wind energy platforms and reductions in the levelized cost of renewable energy are realized. Investment in these opportunities will also support a range of other important responsibilities such as development of a transportable offshore energy platform to augment U.S. Navy humanitarian aid efforts and provide power to disaster areas. The most effective approach in responding to the Navy's energy challenge is not just emphasizing the fundamentals of integrated designs and life cycle maintenance to reduce energy demand nor is it just supporting specific renewable energy initiatives, but a combination of efforts. In the near term, the U.S. Navy must specifically consider collaborative investment with academia and industry in the offshore wind energy industry in order to gain first mover advantage and high returns on investment. This would be a great step towards achieving energy independence while positively contributing to our nation's overall renewable energy capacity and global security position.