In the topsy-turvy world of today’s federal energy policy, solar power is a bad thing. Various members of the President’s cabinet have advised that solar is “unreliable,” and that solar power plants routinely experience “catastrophic failure” with every sunset . So why does the US Department of Defense continue to pursue solar-enabled microgrids at its facilities? Asking for a friend…
📌 The Core Development
Though some solar projects at military facilities are relatively small, they are stamped with the seal of approval from the Defense Department, and that can have an outsized influence on public perceptions about the reliability, security, and durability of photovoltaic systems.
The history-making White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico is a case in point. In February of 2025 the facility celebrated the launch of a new, 700-kilowatt solar array designed and built by the joint venture HSGS-Ameresco.
🔍 Background & Sector Context
At 700 kW, the new array is peanuts compared to the megawatt scale common among modern solar power plants. However, a little can go a long way in some cases, particularly when solar is integrated with other energy resources in a microgrid that can operate independently, without interruption, if the local distribution grid goes down.
“The innovative microgrid system, which integrates a 700kW solar photovoltaic array, a 500kW natural gas generator, and a 500kW lithium-ion battery system, will provide backup power to four groundwater wells on the range,” Ameresco explained in a press statement last year, in which it described the White Sands project.
📊 Industry & Real-World Impact
The four wells are the primary source of potable water to the main post at White Sands. The new microgrid meets a US Army requirement for up to 14 days of independent water and power delivery to the post in case of a grid outage.
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🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
“This self-sufficient energy system, designed to serve a specific geographic area, helps ensure that critical missions at WSMR can proceed without interruption,” Ameresco elaborates, adding that the microgrid underscores White Sands’s commitment to building more resilient energy systems into its future construction projects.
Ameresco also indicated that the now-familiar combineation of solar power and BESS (battery energy storage systems) will do most of the heavy lifting, with the gas generator playing a back-up role if necessary.
