A group of Atlanta-based partners has established a solar microgrid trailer project to provide clean, portable power to be used as a backup energy source during emergencies.
Once completed, the solar trailers will be rapidly deployed to provide energy to communities in need, especially in response to weather disasters. Most backup energy sources are still powered by fossil fuels, so the new project aims to make Georgia’s disaster response more sustainable. The trailers may act as a power source for medical devices, Wi-Fi, refrigeration, and other important services, and when not being used for disaster relief, they may provide energy at local events and festivals.
“In addition to providing cleaner energy for communities in crisis, the mobile solar microgrid trailer is an outreach and education tool that can be used to promote and celebrate resilience,” said Jamie Swezey, program director at Footprint Project, in a statement.
One of the new solar trailers was unveiled at an annual event hosted by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, which provided financial support for the project. Other partner organizations include Cherry Street Energy, The Footprint Project, the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church, and United Methodist Committee on Relief.
As climate change-caused extreme weather events, such as heat waves, hurricanes, and floods proliferate, power outages have also become more common. A number of states have implemented climate resilience projects and emergency plans to best respond to such events. Recently, the Biden administration designated $3 billion towards climate resilience to support efforts such as the Atlanta project.
Additional technologies have provided options to use more earth-friendly power sources during outages as well. Recently, some auto companies have begun including bidirectional charging for their EV models, allowing the vehicles to also serve as a backup power source for users' homes.
“In times of disaster, gaining access to a source of power is one of the most essential yet challenging parts of response and recovery,” said Roland Fernandes, Global Ministries’ chief executive. “Thanks to this partnership, responders in Georgia will be able to bring their own environmentally sustainable power source with them, providing vital emergency power without the environmental damage caused by traditional fossil fuels.”