The recently completed Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQs) housing complex at the U. S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) looks and sounds more like a college community than a place that some of the U.S.’s toughest and roughest call home.

But the barracks in Twentynine Palms, Calif., is en route to becoming a template for how the armed forces can go green.

Its 1.5 megawatts of photovoltaics offset 92 percent of the complex’s power needs, which helped it qualify for the USBG’s toughest LEED standard, Platinum. In all, the complex can house a total of roughly 1,150 Marines in its three, four-story BEQs, which resemble apartments, with spacious lobbies replete with lounges with pool tables.

The system was designed by Blue Oak Energy and installed by Baker Electric Solar.

“The entire complex is amazing,” said a Blue Oak Energy spokesperson.

The complex, commissioned by NAVFAC Southwest and designed by architectural firm PGAL, also features a 500-seat outdoor amphitheater and 706-space four-story parking garage, both covered with photovoltaics.

The photovoltaic aspect of the project was completed in two months, according to Baker Electric. The company, taking a hint from the hardworking Marines, added a second shift to complete the solar installation on time.

In all, the site features 4,680 SunPower E19 modules in four locations. In addition to the parking garage and amphitheater, PV covers a parking lot and a park pavilion, providing shading and recreation for the enlisted soldiers at the complex.

Blue Oak Energy has now designed numerous solar projects for the armed forces and public sector, according to the spokesperson. Among them are projects with the Navy, Army and Coast Guard.

“We’ve just finished a job with the Coast Guard in Puerto Rico,” the spokesperson said.

While the original plan for the BEQ complex was to be completely net-zero energy, it wasn’t really possible.

“There’s only so much space where solar can be located,” the spokesperson said. “You assess the location and use it as much as possible. Most [of these] solar projects are going for net-zero, especially if you’re trying to go with LEED Platinum certification.”

Image courtesy PGAL, LLC, Las Vegas.