TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, May 13, 2013 – This past weekend, the latest Experimental Forward Operating Base (ExFOB) demonstration was held at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms, California to evaluate hybrid power systems to enhance combat effectiveness and reduce logistical support requirements of patrol bases and forward operating bases. ZeroBase Energy was one of just ten companies invited to exhibit their hybrid power solutions at ExFOB, and the company’s flagship FORGE and H-Series platforms comprised two of the thirteen systems on display.
Both the FORGE and H-Series platforms have been in use by the U.S. Army for nearly two years, since a 2011 initiative on behalf of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF) selected ZeroBase’s products for deployment to the front lines. Both platforms are designed to extend and enhance the output of batteries and generators by hybridizing them with the platforms’ own integrated solar and wind systems. The ZeroBase platforms are capable of reducing a standard JP-8 diesel generator’s fuel consumption by 60%, more than doubling the effective fuel supply at hand. The FORGE unit, in particular, is well regarded for its portability and ease of deployment, making it an ideal choice for the Marine Corps’ doctrine of agility, stealth, and self-sufficiency.
Taking a page from the Army’s book, the Marine Corps selected the FORGE and H-Series for demonstration and data collection at this year’s spring ExFOB. This twice-yearly, invitation-only event brings together some of the most promising energy-saving solutions for evaluation by the Corps’ own team of technical experts. The best-reviewed systems are procured by the Corps for further testing, first under laboratory conditions and then in field exercises in the hands of the marines themselves.
A similar process is used by the REF and was, two years ago, the means by which the ZeroBase FORGE and H-Series came into use by select Army forces. Though the ExFOB evaluation results will not be known for some time yet, the conditions and requirements under which the platforms were tested are comparable to the Army’s Network Integration Evaluation programs, in which the FORGE and T-Series have successfully performed in the past.
ZeroBase is the leading innovator in renewable and hybrid distributed power products, specializing in remote off-grid systems that deliver power to some of the most rugged locations on the planet. ZeroBase solutions reduce the cost and risk of fossil fuel dependence for government and commercial customers, including the U.S. Department of Defense. Visit ZeroBase for more information.