U.S. Marine Corps Inaugurates Major Residential Solar Water-Heating Project

Published May 20, 2010

In addition to adding solar-electric systems to bases throughout the nation, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are installing solar water heating as well.

Military housing developer Actus Lend Lease and solar company FLS Energy have announced the largest residential solar thermal initiative in the continental U.S.: a project to add solar water heating to 900 homes at the Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Generating hot water typically accounts for about one-fourth of the annual energy usage in a four-person U.S. household. The Camp Lejeune project is expected to provide for about 75 percent of the hot-water demand for homes with these systems in the community.

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“Actus Lend Lease is committed to providing energy conservation solutions throughout our communities to improve the quality of life for our residents and support the Department of Defense’s goal of reducing energy consumption,” said Dale Connor, managing director of Actus Lend Lease.

About half the solar water-heating systems are being installed on existing homes in the Atlantic Marine Corps Communities development and the other half are to be installed on new homes.

The U.S.-made equipment for the systems engineered by FLS Energy includes a 4-by-10-foot solar thermal panel, system controls, piping and a solar hot-water storage tank. About 50 of the 900 planned systems have already been installed.

Solar water heating differs from solar photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight directly into electricity. Solar water heating in appropriate locations can be very cost-effective, FLS Energy said in a news release. The company said it is installing the systems and selling the generated energy to the Marine Corps at a cost less than that of energy generated from fossil fuels.

“The solar age has dawned. This project demonstrates that solar energy can be developed on a large scale at a price that is competitive with fossil fuel energy sources,” said Brownie Newman, project finance director for FLS Energy.

North Carolina, while not yet among the leading states in the use of solar photovoltaics to generate electricity, has been increasingly investing in renewable energy.

“I am committed to finding alternative ways to power North Carolina, and as we continue the discussion of alternative energy sources here, this project will help us define our state as a world leader in green technology now and for years to come,” said North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Duke Energy Carolinas is purchasing renewable-energy certificates generated by the project.  Such certificates, also commonly available for solar photovoltaic installations, represent the cleaner-energy value of solar production. Utilities commonly buy them to meet requirements that they generate certain amounts of energy from renewable resources. The energy produced is used by the household, but the credit for producing it goes to the certificate owner.

“Duke Energy’s long-term financial commitment to purchase renewable-energy certificates from this project represents our goal to have a diversified portfolio of renewable energy across North Carolina,” said Emily Felt, director of renewable-energy compliance for Duke Energy.