Disaster Relief

Clean Energy Leaders Deploy Solar Equipment for Winter Storm Recovery

Clean Energy Leaders Deploy Solar Equipment for Winter Storm Recovery

In February of 2021, the state of Texas began facing an ongoing crisis of water shortages, power outages, and extreme freezing weather conditions. Two storms- Uri and Shirley, caused record low temperatures reaching -2 degrees F, the coldest Northern Texas has been in 72 years. In response to requests from local responders, Footprint Project activated our Solar Energy Rapid Response Team (SERRT) to support Texas’s recovery. Beginning on February 21st, Footprint Project deployed solar equipment to power mobile communication and remote charging needs for the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) and Fayette County Emergency Management (FCEM).

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Mobile Power for the People: Building Back Greener in Puerto Rico

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Mobile Power for the People: Building Back Greener in Puerto Rico

As summer comes to a close, a new door opens. The largest mobile solar generator microgrid Footprint Project has ever built is bringing mobile, sustainable power to communities in Puerto Rico.

The completion of this microgrid is crucial for the island’s disaster relief recovery. As back-up diesel generators continue to fail when communities deprived of power need it most, a solar generator microgrid will provide reliable, sustainable energy to people who no longer have to depend on a failing central power source.


Electric Chainsaws for Debris Removal for Iowa Recovery

Electric Chainsaws for Debris Removal for Iowa Recovery

As citizens regained power in the following week, the Solar Energy Rapid Response team (SERRT) returned their solar trailer to Minneapolis and donated two electric chainsaws to assist NECHAMA Jewish Response to Disaster as they stayed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Electric chainsaws are proving to be essential for disaster recovery and volunteer training because they are quiet, light, and do not require gas.

These chainsaws were used for debris removal--the most powerful electric chainsaws can cut through diameters of two feet or more. According to city workers in Cedar Rapids, it will take at least a month to remove all the debris to open up essential streets.


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Iowa Storm, Rapid Response

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Iowa Storm, Rapid Response

On Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service declared a one out of five “marginal risk” warning. They did not predict that a 100 mile per hour wind derecho would leave over 200,000 citizens in Iowa bereft of power. A derecho is a spanish term meaning “straight ahead,” and is defined as a line of intense fast-moving, damaging windstorms occasionally accompanied by thunderstorms. This type of environmental disaster is notoriously rare and difficult to predict. Although the average wind speed in these straight line storms is 50 to 70 mph, this derecho was particularly fierce, with a record 110 mph, resulting in hurricane force winds in Iowa.

What's Happening in Puerto Rico?

What's Happening in Puerto Rico?

Severe weather forecasts indicate a brutal 2020. The U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 13-19 named storms, the majority of which will become hurricanes before reaching landfall*. As resources are already stretched thin in response to COVID-19 and the economic fall-out, first responders are concerned about what this means for disaster relief in places that are still recovering from past environmental emergencies. Recovery has been especially difficult on the islands of Puerto Rico.

 

Recent News

News
Midstate company, non-profit create solar-powered microgrids for disaster relief efforts
Midstate company, non-profit create solar-powered microgrids for disaster relief efforts

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WZTV) — Thursday marks a somber anniversary for the Midstate. It was on this day in 2010, the area received 13 inches of rain in 48 hours. That disaster left tens of thousands without electricity and forced emergency responders to rely on small, gas generators to power disaster relief centers.

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When was the last time your power went out? I don’t mean those split second events, almost imperceptible but for your blinking microwave clock. I’m talking about a day or a week or a month or more without electricity. Whatever’s in your refrigerator is going bad.

Healthier Power in New Orleans
Healthier Power in New Orleans

Disasters exacerbate disparities. From Hurricane Katrina to the pandemic to Hurricane Ida, food insecurity is perpetuated by New Orleans’ high rates of poverty and vulnerability to extreme weather events.

Decarbonizing Disaster Response - PV Magazine
Decarbonizing Disaster Response - PV Magazine

We sat down with PV Magazine to discuss the Maui wildfires, decarbonizing disaster response, and duck curve financing.

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Microgrids for Maui

When fires devastated communities on Maui in August, we watched in horror as the news traveled across the Pacific, reports growing deadlier and more devastating by the hour. Never having been to Hawai’i, we began to strategize about how we could help.

Lighting the Way to Recovery in Mississippi
Lighting the Way to Recovery in Mississippi

Early this spring, a series of tornadoes devastated several communities in rural Mississippi. We joined forces with local partners requesting emergency power: Delta Health Center in Rolling Fork, the Fannie Lou Hamer Center for Change in Eupora, and the Zion Baptist Association in Winona. These hubs would go on to serve as foundations of recovery and resilience in their communities.

Firefighters Armed with Solar Training in Northern Sonoma County
Firefighters Armed with Solar Training in Northern Sonoma County

Tucked away in the hills of the Russian River Valley near Cloverdale, CA, the Northern Sonoma County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a shining example of effective use of cleaner energy in disaster response. The team of industrious firefighters stores, maintains, and frequently deploys one of Footprint Project’s solar trailers to emergency sites and shelters.

Jefferson Parish residents recover after the damage done by the EF-2 tornado
Jefferson Parish residents recover after the damage done by the EF-2 tornado

From FOX8 local news in New Orleans

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Building Power in the Eye of Hurricane Ian

A few months ago, long before a tropical depression that would become Hurricane Ian formed in the Caribbean, the United Methodist Committee on Relief decided to invest in resilient power solutions for their disaster response teams.

Sonoma County fire stations upgrade with DIY solar-powered generators
Sonoma County fire stations upgrade with DIY solar-powered generators

Three Sonoma County fire stations are now equipped with a new emergency response tool: mobile generators powered by the sun.

 

Stay Updated

 
Happy built-day to 5 new solar generators! This weekend, we held another #BuildPower Workshop in New Orleans with our friends at @anothergulf.ispossible and @mondobizarroproductions. Thank you to everyone who helped us assemble these solar generators
Hey #NOLA friends! Our partners at @notepnola and @groundworknola still have a few open slots for our first ever PV 101: Solar Training! Go to notep.net/enroll for more info
We were honored to be a part of @schneiderelectric's 2022 #InnovationSummit! It was amazing to share our vision of decarbonizing disaster relief with Schneider Electric's own visionary, Jean-Pascal Tricoire. And we had a blast getting to know our boo
In close partnership with @smartaidint and @_itdrc, our newest solar wifi access point has been dispatched to provide free connectivity and device charging support for survivors, responders and rebuilders in Fort Myers Beach. Additional thanks to @