Ameresco, Inc. announced the newly completed U.S. Army?s advanced renewable energy system at U.S. Army Installation Fort Detrick in Maryland. This event marks the culmination of efforts to enhance the base?s energy independence, sustainability, and potential for energy resiliency. Ameresco?s energy asset activation is now live and features a 6 MW/6MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) that integrates seamlessly with an existing 18.6 MW (DC) solar energy facility, which has been operational since 2016.

This integration not only boosts the facility?s capacity by providing frequency regulation services to the local electric grid but also enhances the overall energy security and sustainability of the installation by improving the power quality and correcting unintended fluctuations in generation. The Fort Detrick facility is a key U.S. Installation Management Command installation (IMCOM) encompassing a 1,200-acre campus. It supports a broad spectrum of government agencies and military services including the Defense Health Agency, Space Force, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, and the 21st Signal Brigade.

Fort Detrick has been an integral part of the community since its establishment and continues to be a hub for significant scientific and medical advancements, which it will now continue with the support of its new BESS activation. Today, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the activation of the BESS. The event took place at the U.S. ArmyGarrison Fort Detrick's Area B Solar Field.

Key attendees included Robert Hughes, Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, the Honorable Rachel Jacobson, the 17th Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (ASA(IE&E)), and representatives from Ameresco. The ceremony was hosted by Brigadier General Edward H. Bailey, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and Fort Detrick.