22 Aug 2025

Local Integrated-Technology Energy System to Meet Operational Needs (LITES ON) Project

Abstract: The ability to reliably charge battery systems, whether for vehicles, mission support equipment, or stationary purposes, is especially important in remote and cold regions. The US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) project team evaluated and documented the performance of potential photovoltaic (PV) battery charging configurations (e.g., controller component) for use in such regions, especially as backup alternatives to other grid-connected charging stations that support Army installations, with a unique focus on the power electronics components of the system. In addition to its potential to support building energy resilience, this work complements other work that considers electrification of the DoD fleet of vehicles and the needed grid-connected infrastructure. This work adds to the growing information available on lithium ion (Li-ion) battery performance in cold regions by monitoring the battery performance as part of the test configuration. The results help better inform design and performance requirements needed for cold regions applications as well as the acquisition of such systems.