WLNS- Jackson start-up unveils renewable energy solution for disaster relief
The article "Jackson start-up unveils renewable energy solution for disaster relief" was published on WLNS on November 21, 2022 and written by Luke Snyder.
JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) – The Nanogrid is a portable, solar, clean energy source with the capability to provide power in minutes.
“It has complete self-generating energy. All we need is sunshine and water,” said CEO of Sesame Solar, Lauren Flanagan.
Flannagan is the woman behind the idea. It’s one that came to her after seeing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
“The way we are doing disaster response is broken. It’s a dirty carbon cycle. We are putting fossil fuels out for power generation after emergencies and we are just compounding the problem,” said Flanagan.
Today her solution is now the first 100% mobile renewable powered Nanogrid. It can provide weeks of energy. It’s made in Jackson, but the unit has already been deployed in recent disaster relief efforts like during hurricane Ian as a hot spot for support.
“You can get your phone or laptop charged or get a new phone, you can call your family and friends and let them know you are ok and you can go clean up and we were serving about 300 people a day between first responders and residents,” said Flanagan.
Experts on the project like Dawon Smith say it can power up just about anything, including in places like the Caribbean where the grid often goes down in disasters.
“We’ve got units that are out there and they are purifying water for people. We’ve got medical units helping take care of sick people. I mean essentially we just wanted to give a hand to those that may need it and we’re doing it in a big way and it’s green,” said Smith.
Flanagan knows more disasters will come. She hopes this can be there when people need it most.
“They may have lost their houses, they may have lost loved ones, so we want to be there to help them with power and the services they need and to do so in a 100 percent renewable way.”
The company is looking for more people to join its team at its Jackson location. For ways to apply Sesame Solar says to send an email to work@sesame.solar.
To view the video and article on WLNS.com, visit: Jackson start-up unveils renewable energy solution for disaster relief | WLNS 6 News
