National Defense Center for Energy and Environment
Adrian Alvarado passivates stainless steel alloy plates using a citric acid bath at Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas as part of a National Defense Center for Energy and Environment project to validate a more environmentally friendly process for increasing corrosion resistance for metals used in Army weapons systems. The citric acid passivation project was funded by the NDCEE in 2018 and completed in 2019. (Photo Credit: Troy Darr) VIEW ORIGINAL

The National Defense Center for Energy and Environment (NDCEE) is a Department of Defense program whose mission is to demonstrate and transition technology solutions in support of the DoD as it strives to enhance readiness, meet sustainability goals, and support warfighters at home and abroad. Innovative technologies are demonstrated and validated at active DoD installations for military application. Proven technologies are transitioned to the services, other federal agencies and to the public. Implementing technologies to enable the Army to fight and win our nation’s wars are in accord with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (ASA IE&E), the Honorable Alex Beehler, who stated “the Army needs to build a ‘technology-enabled’ force by 2028.”

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health) is designated by the ASA IE&E as the NDCEE DoD lead agent. The U.S. Army Environmental Command provides NDCEE program management. Transitioned projects will ensure the NDCEE program remains an enabler in accomplishing the DoD mission with an emphasis in “achieving dominant capabilities through innovation and technical excellence.”

The NDCEE serves as a national resource for advancing technologies and processes that address high-priority environmental, safety, occupational health, and energy (ESOHE) challenges. Created by Congressional mandate in 1991, the NDCEE works to integrate ESOHE impact decisions into the life-cycle planning of DoD activities.

Proven technologies that are beyond the research stage are considered strong project candidates. Projects must meet the basic eligibility requirements and clearly address four scoring criteria:

1-mission/readiness

2-technical quality

3-transition potential,

4-modernization/innovation.

NDCEE provides a direct funding process for DoD agencies seeking to demonstrate, validate and transition commercially available off-the-shelf as well as hot off-the-lab bench innovations for military application. Funded projects typically range from 1-2 years with an average annual cost of $100k – $400k. A Support Agreement is signed by the DoD Installation willing to demonstrate the technology, and a DoD Transition Partner is required to ensure the successful project is implemented DoD-wide.

The following projects were selected to begin in fiscal year 2020:

• Wastewater evaporators as Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Mitigation Strategy at firefighting training sites

• Mobile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Removal System to support warfighter aircrafts and carriers

• Ruggedized Automatic Critical Power Transfer Switch

• Agile Power Extender for Remote Operations: Power-Extender Grid Source

• Improved Bucking Bar to maximize worker performance and health

• Remote Emergency Generator Monitoring

• Charging-capable Li-ion Autonomous Safe Storage Interservice Container

• Compact High Density Tactical Energy Storage

The FY21 call for NDCEE project proposals is from March 1 through April 1 2020. For additional information on the NDCEE or how to submit a nomination package, please visit the website: www.denix.osd.mil/NDCEE.