Bamberg's solar panel implementation supports DoD, Army goals

BAMBERG, Germany -- The installment of solar panels at the energy plant on U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg's Warner Barracks isn't just increasing energy efficiency, it's supporting the Department of Defense's Energy Conservation Investment Program.

The solar panels grand opening ceremony was May 27, the day the post celebrated Earth Day.

"All Earth Day activities are designed to instill a sense of environmental responsibility in our children and so it is very fitting for us to have this ceremony today as it puts a responsible use of energy resources into practice," said Lt. Col. Gary A. Rosenberg, commander of USAG Bamberg commander, at the solar panel grand opening ceremony. "For garrisons, the Army has a voluntary goal with regard to electricity from renewable sources of 25 percent by 2025. The installation of the solar panels brings us much closer to that goal."

Renewable energy is generated through natural resources like sunlight, wind, and tides. The funding for the project came from Stadtwerke Bamberg.

The company gets an incentive by the German government to compensate the high investment.

Through contractual agreements, Stadtwerke Bamberg, the company that operates the energy plant on Warner Barracks and supplies its utilities, will give theinstallation credit toward onsite-produced power, lowering the installations energy consumption costs.

Bamberg started privatization of its utilities in 2002.

The photovoltaic project costs around $250,000, said Klaus Rubach, Chief Executive Officer for Stadtwerke. The energy plant is tied into the city's power grid, so the solar power can be used throughout the city.

According to www.energy.eu, Germany is world's leading location for photovoltaic investments.

DoD is investing $120 million in funding for key component of the department's energy strategy, which offsets rising energy costs, supports environmental protection and reduces the department's reliance on fossil fuels, according to www.recovery.gov.

The Bamberg project did not receive any of this money, but the project still supports the department's energy strategy.

In April 2000, the Army began to implement more energy efficient benchmarks through its Sustainable Design and Development Policy. Since then, laws, executive orders and DoD and Army policy and guidance have made the development of energy efficiency more progressive for the military.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren stated in a press release Oct. 6, 2008 that the Army spends $3 billion every year on energy and a majority of it is spent on installations.

USAG Bamberg receives electrical power produced by renewable sources at the same price as conventionally produced power with zero investment costs, said Dieter Gerber, chief of Operations and Maintenance Division for the Directorate of Public Works. .

This is a win, win situation, Gerber said. The installation gets credit for producing power with renewable energy sources and Stadtwerke gets an incentive.

Bamberg's solar-power project, which lies on the rooftop of the power plant, produces enough energy to power seven to 10 houses per year. Although the Bamberg project is small and the savings-to-investment ratio will take years to materialize, the environmental benefits are enormous.

"With the use of climate-friendly energy sources, the Americans are contributing to the active protection of the environment," Rubach said. "With this photovoltaic plant, 19 tons less carbon dioxide will go into the atmosphere every year."

The cooperation between Stadtwerke and USAG Bamberg has made great strides over the years to put proven technologies into use and to reduce energy costs to the installation's facilities.

"Since the privatization of our utilities and the changing of our heating plant from coal to gas, we have increased our energy efficiency and taken a big step in support of environmental protection," Rosenberg said. "The Department of the Army and the Department of Defense Environmental Awards, which the garrison has recently been awarded, are also an indication of the great cooperation we have with our host nation in the areas of energy consumption and preservation as well as environmental protection."

There is a meter located above the entrance of the power plant that displays the power being produced by the solar panels above. Stadtwerke Bamberg will also have a similar meter on its Web site, so visitors can view the data online.