Operational Energy

Overview

Emerging threats to the logistic resupply of operational forces, the trend toward ever greater energy demand in the operational forces and increasing costs to operate and resupply energy-intensive systems have all put increasing focus on lowering system and unit energy demand. Reducing the force???s dependence on energy logistics can improve the force???s mobility and resilience and increase its control over the timing and conditions of the fight. Focusing on energy as an explicit design consideration and systems engineering (SE) category is a significant change in practice and thinking that will help manage emerging operational challenges.

Role of the PM and SE

The Program Manager (PM), Systems Engineer and Lead Software Engineer can help lower operational energy by addressing issues associated with the system???s energy logistics support and power resupply frequency.

This approach should generate informed choices based on the threshold and objective values of the Energy Key Performance Parameter (KPP) for the system. For liquid energy-consuming systems, the top-level units of measure for the Energy KPP might be gallons of fuel demanded (consumed) over a defined set of duty cycles or for accomplishing a specified mission goal such as a sortie. These measures may be further decomposed into weight, range, electric power demand and other relevant measures to inform the necessary SE trade-off analysis. The intended result is a comprehensive set of trade-space choices for industry to consider to deliver solutions that are not only energy efficient but also mission-effective and affordable. See the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) Manual linked at the end of this section for more information on the Operational Energy KPP.

Operational Energy Issues

Energy???s relationship to performance arises from the operational context in which the system is used. Accordingly, the scenarios that illustrate how the system is used, as part of a unit of maneuver, are essential to understanding the energy supply and demand constraints to be managed. This is essentially the same approach as balancing survivability goals against lethality goals in the engineering trade space. Operational energy issues include:

• How the system and combat unit refuel/recharge in the battlespace scenarios, and how often.
• How this refueling/recharging requirement might constrain our forces (limit their freedom of action, on-station time, signature, etc.)
• How the adversary depicted in the defining scenarios might delay, disrupt and/or defeat our forces by interdicting this system???s refueling/recharging logistics.
• How much force protection could be diverted from combat missions to protecting these refueling/recharging events when and where required.

Systems Engineers should consider incorporating energy demand in design, technology, materials, and related issues into the system trade space along with other performance issues, so that oppressive energy resupply needs are not inadvertently introduced in the attempt to achieve other performance goals (e.g., survivability, lethality). In practice, this means requirements managers should factor into the system design the necessity of refueling/recharging using the same scenarios used to illustrate other performance requirements, and allowing the adversary a realistic chance to interdict the refueling/recharging effort. Systems Engineers may find it necessary to have a continuing dialogue with the warfighter (the user and requirements manager) to help grasp the operational impact of these issues and depict them in trade-space decisions.

Energy-related engineering analysis should begin early enough to support initial Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) planning following the Materiel Development Decision, and should also be routinely updated to inform any AoA performed later in the life cycle (i.e., in support of block upgrades and modifications).

NOTE: The results of the sustainability analysis (see Systems Engineering (SE) Guidebook, Section 2.2.6 Sustainability Analysis) can be used to inform energy analyses.

Products and Tasks

Product

Tasks

10-16-1: Incorporate energy efficiency features in system design

Analyze user scenarios / concepts of operation that illustrate how the system is employed. Identify technical performance measures (TPMs) for energy efficiency that trace to the system???s energy key performance parameter (KPP). Identify the energy supply and demand constraints to be managed. Conduct technical trade-off analysis for energy efficiency goals against other performance goals. Analyze and mitigate risks related to energy use. Identify and incorporate energy efficiency features into system design where practicable.

Source: AWQI eWorkbook

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Resources

Key Terms

• Energy Key Performance Parameter
• Operational Energy

Source:
DAU ACQuipedia

Policy and Guidance

• 10 U.S.C. 2925, Annual Department of Defense energy management reports
• 10 U.S.C. 2926, Operational energy
• DoDD 4180.01, DoD Energy Policy
• DoDD 5134.15 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs (ASD(OEPP))
• DoDM 4140.25, Volume 1, DoD Management of Energy Commodities: Overview
• JCIDS Manual (for the Energy KPP; requires Common Access Card (CAC) to access website)
• Operational Energy Strategy
• OUSD(A&S) Operational Energy site
• Systems Engineering (SE) Guidebook,, Section 5.16 Operational Energy
• Defense Science Board Task Force report on Operational Energy, February 2008
• Defense Science Board Task Force on Energy Systems for Forward/Remote Operating Bases, 1 Aug 16

DAU Training Courses

• ETM 1050 Design Considerations Fundamentals, Lesson 16 Operational Energy

DAU Media

• Operational Energy Aware Acquisitions Culture DAU web event