Energy and water savings in military base camps

Energy efficiency and resource savings have become a significant part of the base camp planning process. It is especially important in the case of forward operating bases that are dependent on supplies of fuel, water and other resources. Protection of supply convoys dramatically increases the cost of each commodity; therefore, even small-scale savings are very reasonable. However, a simple installation and operation as well as a minimum maintenance are required. This paper deals with saving measures for laundry, hot water, and potable water production. In the case of laundry, it is water re-use, laundry service, and efficiency increase of machines. Forward operating bases are typically equipped with fuel oil-powered generators for electricity production. There is a great potential for waste heat recovery for hot water preparation. In the case of potable water production, it is transformation of sea or brackish water into potable water using evaporation. The benefits of the proposed measures are demonstrated in a case study considering a base camp with 200 occupants. An economic analysis was carried out to show profitability of these measures. All of them have a pay-back period less than 2 years. Introduction of saving measures in a forward operating base is not only a matter of cost but also of security as suppling units may suffer from enemy assault. The lower need of supplies the lower risk of enemy assault.