The Marine Corps is looking for ways to reduce the need for air conditioning in combat areas like Afghanistan. "Someone needs to come up with a better way to cool," said Col. Bob Charette, the director of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office, during a presentation at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition at National Harbor, Md., last month. At issue: Cooling systems require fuel, which must be transported in by convoy. Sixty percent of all fuel moved into battlefields is used to power air conditioners, Charette said. Since the fight against terrorists began more than a decade ago, convoys have become key targets of ambushes and attacks. The Marines are exploring ways to use more solar panels, low-consumption LED lights, and hybrid solar-battery power generators.
