title: Time for a revolution: smart energy and microgrid use in disaster response.
abstract: Modern health care and disaster response are inextricably linked to high volume, reliable, quality power. Disasters place major strain on energy infrastructure in affected communities. Advances in renewable energy and microgrid technology offer the potential to improve mobile disaster medical response capabilities. However, very little is known about the energy requirements of and alternative power sources in disaster response. A gap analysis of the energy components of modern disaster response reveals multiple deficiencies. The MED-1 Green Project has been executed as a multiphase project designed to identify energy utilization inefficiencies, decrease demands on diesel generators, and employ modern energy management strategies to expand operational independence. This approach, in turn, allows for longer deployments in potentially more austere environments and minimizes the unit's environmental footprint. The ultimate goal is to serve as a proof of concept for other mobile medical units to create strategies for energy independence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Operational and Disaster Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: David Wayne
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Callaway
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Operational and Disaster Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noste
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Operational and Disaster Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Peter Woods
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: McCahill
authors.affiliation: SEWW Energy, Inc, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rossman
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Lime Energy Co, Huntsville, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lempereur
authors.affiliation: Department of Mobile Medicine, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaney
authors.affiliation: Department of Mobile Medicine, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054597:Disaster Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009657:North Carolina; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000458:organization & administration