Behavioral Energy Operations Demonstration (BEyOnD) Program
Eric Shields, Naval Surface Warfare Center, CarderockDr. Amy Wolfe, Oak Ridge National Lab
9th-11th August, [email protected] 301-227-4777
DISTRIBUTION A. Approved for public release, distribution unlimited
Outline
• Cost of Operational Energy• Problem Definition• Marine Corps Integrated Training Exercise (ITX)
– Vehicles– Shelters– Power Generation
• Conclusions
2
Energy Savings from Behavior
"We put billions of dollars into fuel-efficient technologies. How much are we putting into energy behavior change in a credible, systematic, testing way?"1 Prof. Sendhil Mullainathan
3
1. Mullainathan, D. S. (2009, November). TED Talk: "Solving social problems with a nudge". Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/sendhil_mullainathan?language=en#t-344339
2. Barbu, N. G. (2013). Achieving energy efficiency through behaviour change: what does it take? European Environment Agency
Installation Energy
Operational Energy
Operational Energy vs. Installation Energy
5
Combat Outpost (COP) Restrepo
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Sharana
Camp Bastion
Fire Base /Patrol Base (PB) Dandar
Personnel10-30 30-100 100-1,000 1,000-10,000
Power (kW)5-60 30-240 240-3,000 3,000-50,000
Base Electrical Demand
Valu
e of
Ene
rgy
Har
vest
ing
/Ris
k/C
ost o
f Ele
ctric
ity
Qua
lity
of L
ife/
Ener
gy u
se p
er
war
fight
er
Cost of JP-8 ($/gal)$30 $15 $7.50
DoD Energy Costs at Bases
Energy Costs in Remote Areas• Electricity prices at forward deployed locations can be calculated a number of ways all of
which are subject to controversy. Fuel prices in AFG ranged from $7/gallon for JP-8 up to $30/gallon in most cases
• If $15/gal for JP-8 being fed into a 60kW Tactical Quiet Generator (TQG), being operated at 33% load (2.25 gal/hr) is the assumed scenario then cost per kWh becomes:
$1.68/kWh: 17X the average cost of electricity on the US grid.
6$1.68/kWh is optimistic in small bases
The True Cost of Fuel
7
If fuel were free, we’d still have to transport it, protect it, and manage it. The logistics burden and risk imposed would still require a solution
Technical Objectives
BEyOnD seeks to reduce ground-based USMC fuel consumption in austere environments by over 10% by changing human behavior at little to no cost, to four focus areas (ECUs, Generators, Vehicle Idling, Vehicle Operations)
8
$49-92M potential savings annually across both services (OSD AT&L FY2014 Operational Energy Annual Report)
Ground Fuel Savings Est.
10-20MB Annually
A Military Occupational Specialty defines the job or "role" of a warfighter in the military, along with their responsibilities
Operational Energy Users
MotorTMarines
(Logistics Vehicle Drivers)
Utilities Marines(Generator /
ECU Experts)
Aviation Marines (Pilots)
Our Focus
9
BEyOnD Focus Areas
Areas Issue(s) Improvements
VehicleIdling
Long periods of vehicle idling for a variety of reasons
Encourage good habits and increase awareness with simple technologyIdentify where idling is necessary and where it is not
Vehicle Operations
Fuel inefficient driving habits reduce range and increase fuel consumption
Transfer automobile manufacturers techniques to a military environmentUse techniques from industry to influence decisions and increase combat effectiveness
Environmental Control Units
Antiquated/absent thermostat controls are responsible for over 70% of the electrical demand in forward deployed areas
Identify and define an effective ECU user interface Identify/address other barriers to effective ECU implementation
Electrical Usage
Equipment usage in small walled shelters show equipment can be underutilized and unnecessarily draw electricity from the local grid
Find techniques to reduce electrical demand from small electronics by empowering the end user
10
…a whole-systems approach that includes institutional contextPr
oces
s for
cha
nge
FEMP’s Institutional Change Methodology & Process
Phase IInvestigation
11
Phase IIExperimentation
Phase IIIImplementation
Program Status
Future Phases
Integrated Training Exercise (ITX)-3 2016 by the Numbers
• 1 IRB Approval• 5 Days of Observation• 15 BEyOnD
Observation Personnel• 11 Fixed ACE, LCE,
GCE Locations• 33 ECUs• 24 Diesel Generators• 115°F High• 53°F Low• 49 Interviews• 419 system inspections• 50+ observations
12
“The fuel is basically ‘come and use it’, someone else is paying for it.”
“With the fuel that I was supplying, the first few days (of the logistics planning process), was more of a let’s see how much fuel we’re using.”
“The Marine Corps that we sit in today never has had that banking account to where we didn’t have an unlimited amount of money and we’re now getting back into not having an unlimited amount of money but the Marines are still living as if we still have that unlimited amount of money.”
Single best way of saving fuel: “Proper planning. If we have a defined mission and we know where we’re going we can plan that out to where we’re going to expend the amount of fuel we think we’re going to use.”
How can you save energy? “It (saving fuel) depends on the mission.”“As far as like conserving fuel and all that stuff, honestly, it isn’t really a concern of mine. We’re just trying to accomplish the mission.”
13
Marine Perspectives on Fuel
• Responses vary
• Inattention to energy
• Fuel as unlimited
• Fuel, when considered, typically not the highest priority
ITX-3 Vehicle Observations
14
Pre-convoy Behaviors
Takeaways1. Pre-convoy idling was not observed to be overly wasteful2. Opinions from interviewed Marines the on reliability of gauges (battery and
fuel tank) vary from ignoring them entirely to treating them as 100% reliable3. Greater consistency regarding starting / shutdown of engines before
departing / returning to camp would create marginal reduction in fuel use15
Mobile Vehicle Operations
Takeaways1. There is no way around idling vehicles in high threat situations2. Fuel was viewed as an unrestricted commodity similar to water points and
mitigated easily with stowed 5-gal cans on trucks3. Training missions did not consider fuel restrictions, which narrows the planning
for energy to specific training events or days4. Unit training, individual experience reportedly had great influence, but were
undocumented
16
Marine Feedback on Vehicle Fuel Use
(In a convoy) “The plan is always to keep the truck going.” “They know to keep their vehicles running, to keep it ready, so that we can move whenever we need to”… “Everyone that’s driving inside of this convoy, that is what they came to the Marine Corps to do. That is their job. That is something that’s put on you from day one. Hello, welcome to the Marine Corps, you’re going to drive a truck. Start it. Shut it off whenever you’re done.” “Turned the truck off because the “bird” (helicopter) wasn’t coming anytime soon. That was just so I could hear the radio (handheld).”… “In real life, I wouldn’t have had that truck turn off. I had a pretty crappy radio and I couldn’t hear.”“In a real life tactical situation, I have never shut my vehicle off.”“We rarely have an issue with fuel shortage, but we have had an issue with batteries, and having to jump start those. So, I’d rather use the fuel than get stuck out here and look dumb.”
17
Idling ...• Tactical
readiness (functional, symbolic)
• Equipment readiness
• Preserve batteries
• Powering equipment (vehicles as generators)
ITX-3 ECU Observations & Data
18
ECU Behaviors
Off Fan Cool Heat# Observations 7 12 243 4
Remote Control Local Control# Observations 0 266
19
1012
211 1
Very Cold Cold Warm Very WarmSetting 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 1 1.5 2
Frequency 187 4 10 0 31 1 2 0 7% 77 2 4 0 13 0.5 1 0 3
Settings Changed Settings Stayed The Same# Observations 11 255
Key Takeaways1. Initial settings are set to maximum cold 77% of the time2. Initial ECU settings do not change often
• Settings are configured by utilities engineers• Other Marines are told not to change them• Cross-training some Marines could improve comfort
3. Remote thermostats were not observed to be used
ECU Settings
ECU-Cooled Billeting
20
12
Key Takeaways1. A full cold “10’clock” setting can make shelter temperatures uncomfortable
while wasting energy
10
Ambient
Environmental Cooling Site Summary (Based on 5/24 data)
Location Shelter Type
ECU Room for Improvement
Comfort (day)
Comfort (night)
1 bldg. 5147 K Span Yes No Hot Hot 1 bldg. 5146 K Span Yes No Good Good 1 BaseX305 Base X305 No N/A Hot Good 2 bldg. 5101 K Span Yes No Good Good 3 Shelter N Base X305 Yes Yes Good Good 4 bldg. 5151 K Span Yes No Good Good 4 bldg. 5154 K Span Yes Yes Good Cool 5 bldg. 5158 K Span Yes Yes Good Cool 5 bldg. 5167 K Span Yes No Hot Cool 6 bldg. 5220 W K Span Yes Possible Good Good 6 bldg. 5219W K Span Yes Possible Good Good 6 BaseX305 BaseX305 No N/A Hot Cool 9 AB #14 Air Beam No N/A Hot Cool 9 AB #5 Air Beam No N/A Hot Cool 9 AB #7 Air Beam No N/A Hot Cool 7 bldg. 5379E K Span Yes No Good Good 7 bldg. 5378E K Span Yes No Good Good 10 bldg. 5496 K Span Yes No Good Good 10 bldg. 5499 K Span Yes No Good Good 11 BaseX305 BaseX305 Yes No Hot Cool 11 SWA Hut SWA Hut No N/A Hot Cool 11 SWA Hut SWA Hut Yes Yes Hot Hot
Cooling for comfort
Over Cooling ECU settings
Over Heating ECU settings
Observed open doors during ECU use
Judicious use of ECUs. FASP Unit switches settings to Fan mode in the evenings to keep
shelter temperature comfortable
Key Takeaways1. Marines generally employ ECUs efficiently2. Largest opportunity is to influence initial ECU settings3. Cross training local Marines on setting adjustments is possible
21
22
Marine Feedback on Environmental Control
“I turn it (ECU) on cool during the day and then at night whenever the temperature drops, we turn it on fan.” “They (gen-mech and the electrician) told us to switch it over to fan that way it’s not running on that cold air throughout the night.”
“We’ve been telling the units to either keep it (ECU) at cold (maximum) or off […] because they don’t need heat this time of year.”
“My (shelter temperature) is pretty comfortable […] I’d say (the ideal temperature would) probably be between 75 and 80 degrees for the equipment. My equipment, when it gets too hot, will shut down.”
“We never adjust it (ECU). We just run it at whatever it’s set at. […] I personally don’t know how to (set it). Our unit didn’t install it. Another (supporting) unit installed it for us. There really is no reason to (change the settings).”
• Different responses, informal “rules of thumb”
• Ability to use technical knowledge varies
• Attention to equipment environmental needs
• Linkage to vehicles/ batteries
ITX-3 Generator Observations & Data
23
Generator Behavior in Context
24
Key Takeaways1. Generator utilization is consistently low at ITX events regardless
of time of year or unit
Generator Usage Summary May 23rd -25th
Site Generators Average Load (%)
Estimated Peak Load
Room for Improvement
1 (2) 30kW AMMPS in parallel 35 45 No 2 30kW AMMPS 18 22 No 3 10kW TQG 60 9.6 No 4 30kW TQG 47 48.5 No 5 30kW TQG 63 9.6 No 6 (1) 60kW AMMPS in parallel 8 24 Yes 7 (2) 30kW AMMPS
(2) 60kW AMMPS 12 (on 60s) 11 (on 30s)
23 (on 60s) 13 (on 30s)
Yes Yes
9 10kW TQG, 5kW TQG 60 Unknown No 10 30kW TQG 27 30 No 11 (3) 30 KW AMMPS 17 Unknown Yes
Inefficient Parallel operation, but in accordance with
TTPs
Key Takeaways1. Marines frequently oversize generation capacity for critical loads 2. Site layouts and loads suggest many sites did not have proper power planning3. Larger generators (30/60kW) were more likely to be under-loaded than smaller
generators (5/10kW)
Non-critical loads are supported by older equipment
with higher average loads
25
“How it generally works is, when we get here they have a generalized power plan (power requirements for different areas) and that’s what we bring (gear to distribute power). Normally that changes. Once we get to the individual units, they just let us know what they need and we provide them with that.”
“That’s (running generators in parallel) generally what we do, in case one happens to go down, we actually just had that happen recently, and the other picked right up, so they never had any break in power.”
“The entire power grid is backed up. So, if one generator just drops suddenly, then the other just picks it right up immediately, and that’s the entire power grid […] There’s always two running and they’re always balancing 50% of the load […] For us, as utilities, its easier for us to have both of them running at the same time, in case we’re not there to catch it in time. Then, there’s not too much backlash.” 26
Marine Feedback on Power Generation
• Planning vs reality
• Gaps in technical knowledge + ability to use that knowledge
• Non-formal sources of information
• Link to vehicles / batteries
Modeling of Possible Savings: 50 Pax Camps (Army Example)
27
Key Takeaways1. Resizing generators can provide 9-17% savings in a notional 50 pax camp (estimate)2. Improved ECU behavior for 50% of the camp can save additional ~3% of fuel3. BEyOnD observations suggest both are achievable, but ECU savings are smaller
(~1%) for the USMC
Conclusions
• Vehicle– Idling is typically not wasteful, and reduction strategies there without improved gauges
and equipment are likely marginal– Experimentation is required to determine what savings is possible in vehicles– The biggest opportunity to reduce idling fuel consumption is through improved gauges– Reducing aggressive driving behaviors is an understudied opportunity
• Generator & ECU– There are opportunities to reduce wasteful behavior in environmental control, but less
than originally expected for USMC– Generator oversizing continues to be a large problem, and substantial fuel savings are
possible– Modeling suggests these ECUs and Generators two factors have the potential to reduce
fuel consumption by as much as 20%• General
– Measurement of energy metrics is important to add quantitative context to behavioral observations and individual interviews
– Interviews are a necessary method to identify root causes for fuel inefficiency28
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the sponsor of this work, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense for Operational Energy (ODASD (OE))
Also thanks to the many individuals at the following organizations who contributed their time and expertise to the BEyOnD Phase I effort• Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)• Engineering Research & Development Center’s Construction Engineering
Research Lab (ERDC CERL)• Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC) Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC)• JPID Consulting, LLC• USMC Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O)
29
30
Questions?
