Currently, many facilities rely on siloed, on-premise systems with limited data sharing and analytical capabilities. This project seeks to demonstrate and validate a cloud-based Smart Grid solution tailored for Department of War (DoW) buildings, addressing key barriers to implementation while improving energy efficiency, operational performance, and resilience. The results will inform broader adoption of intelligent energy management strategies to reduce costs and increase mission readiness.

This solution centralizes energy data from stand-alone control systems within a DoW-authorized Azure cloud environment, offering unprecedented scalability and access to advanced analytical tools. The integration of existing commercial off-the-shelf data management software streamlines deployment and leverages prior investments, unlike custom-built solutions that can be costly and difficult to maintain. Furthermore, the multi-layered security approach, including Azure's robust security features, Azure ExpressRoute for secure data transport, and a locally deployed security stack for data validation, provides a significantly enhanced security posture compared to many legacy systems vulnerable to modern cyber threats.

A cloud-based Smart Grid solution for DoW buildings will improve energy efficiency and cost savings by allowing the use of artificial intelligence-driven analytics, demand response strategies, and real-time management. This will enhance building performance and resilience through predictive maintenance and grid disruption mitigation. The solution incorporates a secure, DoW-compliant cloud architecture with end-to-end encryption and zero-trust security, aligned with the risk management framework for approval of an authorization to operate. Its scalable and interoperable design integrates with existing systems and enables wider adoption. Comprehensive energy data analytics will inform data-driven decisions, policy development, and broader energy resilience and modernization goals, supporting federal mandates and national security priorities. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2027)