Footprint Project & Rent.Solar Brought Portable Solar Charging Stations To Help Ida Hurricane Victims
Footprint Project, a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis whose mission is to provide cleaner energy for communities in crisis, recently joined Rent.Solar on a trip to Louisiana to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Ida. The two brought 4 solar trailers and 60 portable charging stations. The mobile solar unit is paired with battery storage to create microgrids that power relief efforts that are currently on the ground. This is awesome!
I actually got to talk with the Footprint team about their work, and that will be published as a followup to this article.
While the whole world is tweeting about what should be done, my brother @RichardBirt9 gets on a plane, drives a truck and installs a solar system in New Orleans with @lightempowered and @FootprintPrjct https://t.co/SG97vzAtaa
— marco krapels (@KrapelsMarco) September 7, 2021
The two companies noted that they were ready to deploy to Louisiana from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, which had been suddenly canceled due to Ida. After leaving Louisiana, the storm made its way north and Tennessee was one of several states in its path.
Will Heegaard, Operations Director at Footprint Project, said, “We were tracking Ida while loading into Bonnaroo and immediately began strategizing about how we could deploy while still fulfilling our festival contract.” Both had programming and rental contracts with Bonnaroo this year and the event announced the cancellation just two days after Ida made landfall at Port Fourchon.
The solar and battery systems used were manufactured by Tesla. Richard Birt, who joined Footprint Project and Light Empowered on the trip, pointed out that these systems were a matter of life and death for communities in New Orleans. I can verify this, as I, too, was without power. Although it was for only three days, 140°F inside your home is nothing to play with. In my case, I was fortunate to have clean running water. Many in South Louisiana don’t have access to clean water and were told it would be weeks before they’d get power back. These solar systems being brought down will save lives.
“While it’s incredibly unfortunate for everyone involved that the festival couldn’t go on this year, the ability to get down to communities in need of critical power with such speed and agility is the real reason we do this work,” said Heegaard. Footprint has been in New Orleans since Friday, September 3, and has powered up the New Orleans Veterans of Foreign Wars, which is distributing 500 meals per day to the community.
It was an honor to manage comms for @FootprintPrjct Over #LaborDay weekend while @FootprintPrjct was busy in the field doing the heavy lifting. #BuildBackGreener pic.twitter.com/95eYPTl6MU
— Ethan Lipman (@etlipman) September 7, 2021
It’s also powered up Imagine Water Works, which leads the Mutual Aid Response Group of Louisiana. The organization is currently building a list of sites that need the power to be triaged and has prioritized that list based on need service. It’s also sourcing additional solar equipment from industry partners around the country.
Footprint Project will deploy the mobile microgrids through the area. Community centers, medical centers, and fire stations will benefit from the microgrids. Community partners have identified parking lots and street corners as high need areas for cell phone charging, medical and mobility devices, and battery shares.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all our partners and supporters for helping us build back greener in Louisiana,” said Heegaard. In a video that is part of their gallery of images and video, Heegaard explained what type of solar panels they were using for Imagine Water Works.
He explained that this was the second solar generator setup and that the two 50-watt portable solar panels were identical to another setup used for a chest freezer. It included a small, 20-inch charge controller that was donated by Zamp Solar. The charge controller, plugged into the solar panels, runs power to an 830 kWh battery suitcase which was placed in the shade. This system was able to run the command, laptop, and their cell phones that evening. This is just one of the many systems they’ve set up to help the community.
DER Task Force joined the organizations by setting up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with an initial goal of raising $50,000. That has been increased to $75,000, as more than $61,000 has been raised. The funds will enable Footprint Project to deploy the mobile microgrids in New Orleans and the communities hit the hardest by Ida. I’ve donated and I encourage anyone who wants to help to donate as well. SolHomes, Scale Microgrid Solutions, CPower Energy Management, and Brooklyn SolarWorks are just a few companies that have donated to this fundraiser.
When our power was still out, I sat with my neighbors listening to a solar-powered radio that broadcasted Governor Edwards’ press conference. He said that we would get through this and that we need to be good neighbors for one another. That’s something he’s always talking about — being a good neighbor to your fellow citizens. Other states, communities, and organizations are also being good neighbors.
It’s moments like these that give hope for humanity as a whole. Yes, we have bad people who hurt others, but there are good ones who are coming from a place of love and act on those intentions — they seek to make a positive impact and help others. This is what being a good neighbor is all about.
Related story: “The Tesla Community Helped Feed Over 150 Baton Rouge Families Affected By Hurricane Ida“
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Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.
As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.
“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”
This Orange looks good in blue
One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).
“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”
We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.
HEP-isode 26
SOURCE | IMAGES: YMX Logistics.
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On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.
We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.
You can watch the episode, below.
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Read more: Farm-fegnugen? Volkswagen rolls out an electric tractor.
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Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.
The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.
Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.
Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.
The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.
“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”
The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.
Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.
Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.
Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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