Power Systems for Remote Sensors on the Northern Border

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with DHS to field sensors that accurately track different types of transportation on the U.S. northern border. To do this, the sensors need to be placed in the most advantages geographical locations, often where no power is available. This enables the sensors to detect and track aircraft/vehicles even though natural features (e.g., mountains, ridges, valleys, trees) often prevent standard methods (e.g., monostatic radar or visual observers) from seeing them. Without grid power, intermediate sized portable power systems were used to provide between 80 and 500 W continuously, even in bitter cold and when buried under feet of snow/ice. NREL provides details about the design, installation, and lessons learned from long-term testing of an initial set of novel power systems that used flexible photovoltaics, lithium ion batteries, and fuel cells that provided backup power to achieve over 95% up-time.