Posted by Courtney E. Howard
WASHINGTON, 22 Aug. 2011. Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Siemens (NYSE:SI) have formed a strategic alliance to jointly develop and market "smart grid" technologies to improve energy access and security for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), which continues to be the largest energy consumer in the federal government. The companies will collaborate to provide U.S. military installations with secure microgrid management solutions designed to lower operational costs and increase energy efficiency.
"This collaboration will make a real difference in how the DOD uses energy," predicts Tim Noonan, vice president of Boeing Energy. "For years, Boeing has developed secure, networked systems vital to the nation's defense, and bringing this capability to the development of energy security and efficiency is vital for the military's future. Boeing and Siemens' combined approach will help provide energy independence and critical infrastructure protection to ensure mission success for the U.S. military, at home and abroad."
The alliance is thought to combine Boeing's experience in providing the DOD with complex systems and technologies, and Siemens' global energy management capabilities. "The Siemens and Boeing team has a vision for the United States' energy future, and we're committed to helping the DOD achieve unprecedented levels of power reliability, quality, efficiency and energy independence," according to Judy Marks, head of Siemens U.S. Federal Business.
The alliance's microgrid management solution will be designed to: implement economical energy-efficiency tools that allow for analysis, control and automation of energy processes use smart energy controls to provide real-time data to manage energy use integrate renewable energy sources and storage.
The Siemens and Boeing alliance offers such energy modernization capabilities as end-to-end engineering and construction, network and smart grid integration, cybersecurity, energy efficiency, energy management and storage, next-generation alternative energy integration, climate monitoring, and service, training and maintenance.
