
“US marines go to war in Afghanistan with solar cells embedded in their rucksacks, efficient enough to recharge lithium-ion batteries for radios and greatly lighten loads. Field patrols will soon have almost weightless solar blankets as well. The US Naval Air Weapons Station already relies on a 14 megawatt array of solar panels in California’s Mojave desert for a thrid of its power.The US Navy will derive half its energy supply from renewables by the end of this decade, according to a report. It may be a stretch to say that the US Naval Research Laboratory is the vanguard of the world’s green revolution, but not a big stretch.”