Best of SunRunr 2016: A Year of Global Solutions

 

The three-person team behind SunRun of Virginia Inc., Alan Mattichak, Jenny French and Scott French. Photo courtesy Mark Rhodes and Virginia Business magazine.

In 2004, SunRunr began as a spark of an idea.  Now just twelve years later, our portable Solar + Storage generator systems are making a global impact.  From Virginia to the South Pacific, our systems are providing off-grid, supplemental, and backup power to homes and businesses.  2016 was a year that highlighted our three key passions: providing portable renewable energy solutions, championing discussions on energy issues and policy, and raising public awareness of sustainability and preparedness. 

Portable Renewable Energy Solutions

Photo credit Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

In the SunRunner Sphere Blog this past year, we shared how SunRunr owners around the world are Using the 4 Phases of Emergency Management to Weather a Power Outage. SunRunr owner, Andrew P., gave us a front row seat in this video he recorded as Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean.  “Here we are in the middle of Hurricane Matthew,” Andrew reported. “But the good thing is that we have the SunRunr generator here giving us light, powering the refrigerator, and running some fans.”

In calmer but uniquely difficult waters, our partners Alternative Energy, Inc. incorporated a SunRunr generator within a custom, off-grid solar solution on the island nation of Palau. A fish hatchery powered by the sun is now up and running on the remote island.

Energy Issues and Policy

SunRunr’s Jenny French speaking at StartUpAfrica Conference.

In April, SunrRunr was invited to join a briefing at the White House with senior Administration officials, the White House Business Council and Business Forward.  The briefing included more than 50 business leaders from across the country, and discussions focused on the clean and renewable energy economy and the impacts of climate change on business, national security, human health, and the global economy.

September found SunRunr’s Jenny French at the 2016 StartUpAfrica Entrepreneurship Conference held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. French spoke on a panel discussing “Entrepreneurship in Africa: Now and in the Future.”

SunRunr’s perspective was also called on in October with an invitation to participate in a small business roundtable with Cuban Ambassador José Ramón Cabañas. The event was organized by Virginia Exports and Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

Raising Awareness of Sustainability and Preparedness

SunRunr was nationally honored this year with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA)  2016 Individual and Community Preparedness Award for Technological Innovation.  During an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., SunRunr and ten other awardees were recognized for our innovative practices and programs that contribute to making communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient.  During roundtable and breakout discussions with high-level officials, recipients were asked to share our success stories, lessons learned, and expertise.  The two-day event gave us a lot to reflect on as we look to the future.

One of our most gratifying highlights of 2016 has been to watch the development of the Net-Zero Science Classroom at North Fork Middle School in Quicksburg, Virginia.  In January, SunRunr visited the school to demonstrate a solar generator to John Woods’ 6th grade science class.  With financial support from the Moore Educational Trust and partnerships with local businesses and community-based organizations, the students are now implementing real-world energy solutions and have advanced to Phase II toward a Net-Zero Science Classroom.

In 2017, join our discussions on SunRunner Sphere Blog and on Facebook as we continue to bring you news and developments from around the world on Going Green, Sustainable Solar, & Practical Preparedness.

Small Company Strives to Lessen Negative Impacts of Disasters

SUNRNR of Virginia Inc. Touts Benefits of Innovative Technology and Education

During disasters and emergencies, whether natural or man-made, standard sources of electrical power (utility grid and fossil fuel supplies) are often lost or cut off, but critically needed for relief such as communications, power tools, water pumping and health clinic operations.

Technological innovations within the power supply field can lessen the negative impacts of power outages or fuel shortages, but only if the associated outreach is present for public awareness and understanding of the products and their usefulness during times of distress.

Why Preparedness Education is Important

SUNRNR (“Sun Runner”) of Virginia, Inc. manufactures a product useful before (mitigation), during (response) and after (recovery) such emergency-related lack of electrical power.  Our marketing and advertising inherently requires public education and the promotion of preparedness. Then, after purchasing, SunRunR system owners, both personal and commercial, are inherently better protected from the after-effects of a disaster and can also participate in the response and recovery.

How New Technology Can Lessen Emergency Impacts

The three-person team behind SUNRNR of Virginia Inc., Alan Mattichak, Jenny French and Scott French. Photo courtesy Mark Rhodes and Virginia Business magazine.

SunRunR units deliver high-output, high-capacity, stored renewable and/or grid power for use any time or any place electricity is required.  System features include plug-and-play simplicity; no noise, fossil fuels, or emissions; safe, rugged, long-life design; high-quality components; easy expandability; and superior company reputation in customer service and satisfaction.  Water-pumps, small construction sites, agribusiness, off-grid locations, disaster relief, alternative to gas generator disadvantages (fuel storage, spark, heat, maintenance), and blackout backup are examples of our proven market applications.

Renewable. Each SunRunR patented portable solar generator storage system combines a main unit for energy storage and output with a renewable energy source for energy generation. The included solar panels are the most commonly used generation source, but the unit may also be recharged by wind or water turbine, the grid, a gas generator, or even a bicycle. The SunRunR main unit consists of a steel chassis enclosing a rechargeable battery, a DC-to-AC inverter, a charge controller with display, a master disconnect on/off switch, an auxiliary power socket, accessible fuses, and quick-connect input/output and system expansion portals. It is the inverter’s voltage output, or lack thereof, that defines the SunRunR model – SUN110, SUN220, SUN240, SUNPWR.

Safe and clean. Emergency applications directly apply to one of our four markets and indirectly to the other three.  The Emergency Preparedness market can be small- or large-scale with small tending toward personal and community preparedness such as the residential or business consumer that simply wants electricity for short or intermittent power outages.  With consumption awareness and budgeting, units may be used sustainably and therefore, for longer-duration outages.  It is here where our product is potentially doing the most to reduce deaths from misuse of portable gas generators, whether by carbon monoxide poisoning or associated combustible fuel dangers.  Another aspect of our products’ benefits is exemplified by Hurricane Sandy’s situation where many had portable gas generators and fuel was available, but it was inaccessible since there was no power to pump it out of tanks.

Portable and flexible. Large-scale usage would be in terms of humanitarian aid – relief, response and recovery.  SunRunRs offer the best balance of generation, storage, and output specifications in the solar generator arena while maintaining portability.  Some of our videos and many of the testimonials of results and impacts below demonstrate a unit’s capabilities with respect to powering high-load equipment that might be needed for aid efforts.  Early on in the company’s life, we were invited to Ashbury International to give a presentation to a large group of emergency responders, managers and Red Cross, introducing SunRunRs as a sustainable option for in the field.  

PA Dealer, Alternative Energy, Inc, has Contractors use SUNRNR for Deck Restoration

Indirectly, the other three market sectors, Recreation, Commercial and Eco-conscious, have the advantage of inadvertently having an emergency power supply if needed when not being used for their originally-intended purpose. 

Making Preparedness a Priority

SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc. has been a proud National Preparedness Month Coalition member for many years and we promote NPM and America’s PrepareAthon, using the toolkits provided, at least twice a year through social media, our blog, newsletters, and press releases such as the examples included in the supplemental attachments.  We also exhibit where possible, including various “prepper”, hurricane week and home shows, thereby reaching more of the public with the message of preparedness and self-reliance.

Measuring the Results of Better Preparedness—The Human Element

Besides advocating preparedness, the efforts above have also increased SUNRNR’s visibility, leading to an invitation to an exportingroundtable at the White House and to being selected to participate in a trade mission focused on solutions for West Africa’s energy and water problems as described here. 

With the very limited resources of our small, young company, it has been a struggle to introduce a new product concept.  Even so, now over 400 people are better prepared in terms of backup emergency power and many more have been exposed to the idea.  With an increase in exposure and video materials, sales could grow to several hundred this year alone.

The impacts of our outreach and sales are best seen by way of the example testimonials below, including one from post-derecho Virginia.  System applications have included powering a health clinic in post-hurricane Bahamas and end-user sales in post-earthquake Japan.

Photo credit: Tribune242.com

A local high school sixth grade science teacher worked diligently to receive a grant for a SunRunR system.  The students will monitor the solar generator as part of their curriculum on renewable energy. “The SunRunR will be the alternative energy system that the students come to understand, put their hands on, set up, orient towards the sun, plug devices into, use to monitor and manage electrical production and demand, et al, all the while learning what alternative energy is, what it can do, and that it is the new normal,” says John Woods of North Fork Middle School.

“It is so reassuring knowing that as long as the sun shines, come hurricanes or grid outages, I will still be able to have power for the most important things.” – Wanda, customer of Alternative Energy, Inc, PA

“The SunRunR ran my fridge while the power was out, after the recent storms. Saved my bacon. I had recharged the scooter the afternoon of the storm and that almost completely drains the SunRunR. It was a challenge squeaking through until the power came back, but it worked. I certainly had everyone else beat. A fan and a fridge was a LOT during those few days." – Walter B, Roanoke, VA

“We CANNOT TELL YOU how pleased we are with solar rather than the gas generator!!!” – John and Michelle Z, NV

“Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy and am impressed with my New SUN110 … it’s power—for both continuous and surge demands, is most impressive.  I’ve had it running my computer, washing machine, and refrigerator all at the same time.  It did 4 loads of wash in one day and ran the refrigerator continuously for almost 20 hours on the same charge before shutting itself down.” – Gary B, FL

“We just got our power back on yesterday after nearly 5 days without. The SunRunR I purchased from you last year worked like a charm, keeping our freezer cold and running the well pump for water when we needed it.” – Bill G, Charlottesville, VA  (7/2012)

SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc is very proud of our product, mission and customer service reputation.  We will tell potential customers “no” before we will sell them a system that may not meet their expectations.  We know their investment in a SunRunR is an investment in themselves – a definite win-win situation.  As an added bonus, SUNRNR will create jobs and increase Virginia exports while customers are implicitly learning about electrical consumption.

NOTE: The above narrative was SUNRNR’s winning entry in the 2016 FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness Awards.

Reflections on Receiving the 2016 FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness Award for Technological Innovation

Having just returned from being honored at a jam-packed, two-day awards ceremony at the White House Executive Office Building and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters, including roundtable and breakout discussions, and after five security checks, eleven highly-exciting Uber rides, hearing the word “preparedness” at least 3000 times, and great discussions with the high-level officials and the other 10 Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Awardees from the 160-applicant pool, FEMA’s annual event might be summarized with one basic question:

Why are so many Americans still so complacent in doing even the minimal effort required to lead to a better outcome in case of an emergency?

But that one question has many complex answers and FEMA is striving for two-way communication between itself, as a large government agency with resources, and the people it serves.  They recognized the achievements of SUNRNR and so many others, while wanting to learn from our successes and our barriers therein.  FEMA, the American Red Cross, Emergency Management Services, et al will be there to help, but there’s so much we can do to help ourselves before, during, or after a disaster, to save a life or lessen the damage or bounce back. 

Just as the threats can take many forms, from natural to man-made, so can preparedness … from the simple plan and kit to the one-year bunker.  Then there is also “resilience”, the second-most spoken word during those two days.  I went in thinking it just meant how fast a community could rebuild to business as usual.  I learned it went much deeper.  Resilience involves physical and emotional readiness to get through a bad situation.  It is greatly geared to the front-end and during although it also tends to indirectly, and positively, impact the speed of recovery.  Basically, be ready to take care of yourself and others until things return to some sense of normalcy.

In retrospect, six points stand out from the days in DC:

1)      Not only did they honor our small business’ technological innovation, they also wanted to learn from the stories and experiences of those being honored because they knew we were each “ambassadors” for their message and we were out there finding creative ways to get people to listen to it.  Zombies, horses, sporting events, teens, snowmobiles, hospice and much more were involved.

2)      Just writing our application helped us understand our own mission and potential more clearly and we have much to offer within our area of expertise.

3)      The messenger must walk and talk like the message in order to be seen and heard, e.g. a rancher will likely pay more attention to a boots-on-the-ground person over a “suit”.

4)      The time and money expended up front is usually a better investment than the time and money required to compensate for non-preparedness or great loss.

5)      The threat menu is growing and it is unrealistic to prep for every scenario.  We at SUNRNR get so deep in our world of backup power, it was refreshing to be reminded via the other awardees that preparedness is much bigger than electricity, although losing electricity does seem to be a common, and important, theme.

6)      As an optimist, I hope people choose to choose self- and social-responsibility.  We may, however, need to monetize, incentive, or gamify the objective, making the message more fun or more valuable – tax credits or point systems for Scouting, faith groups, seniors, college credit, etc.

Let’s make America’sPreparathon!Day every day.  Get to know your neighbors even more deeply than a nod and a wave.  Know their name, age, and background.  Maybe there’s a nurse next door or a guy with good tools across the street that you could call on during an emergency.

In conclusion, our customers-owners and their testimonials deserve credit for SUNRNR receiving this award.  You showed us your resilience and let us know how you persevered after hurricanes and derechos and how you use your systems sustainably during the months or years in between power outages.  The best part of this job is the people we meet!

Solar Generator Was The Key To Emergency Preparedness - A Blog by Top SunRunr Dealer, Alternative Energy, Inc

As Superstorm Sandy closed in on the Eastern Seaboard, an area not accustomed to frequent major hurricanes, many people found themselves unprepared for the aftermath. New Jersey farmer and electrician David Morrison was not one of them. As soon as the storm hit and for 28 days in the aftermath, the grid in his area was down, but for he and his neighbors, that was not a problem. 

David was prepared with a solar generator setup that rivals almost any one that we've seen. He runs his entire house on solar energy, 18 kilowatts worth. The grid in his area was down for a month, and during that time, he hosted over 35 house guests who stopped by for some hot food, a shower, and good company. They even enjoyed a movie night! He also ended up feeding local crews working on cleanup. 

"I'm a big fan of solar and a bigger fan of self-reliance," he tells us. 

David has good reason. He says that where he lives, the grid goes down more than a half-dozen times per year for over 48 hours; he needed a solution to eliminate dependence on the unreliable grid, and solar power generation was the answer. 

David mentioned that even after the storm moved through, it was days until gas stations reopened, and even once they had, people waited for hours and could only get a couple of gallons. Because he had reliable, off-grid solar power, he never had to worry about that. After the damage had been repaired, David says about half of his neighbors bought solar generators for off-grid backup power, and everyone began to keep extra food at the house and gas in the car having learned a valuable lesson in emergency preparedness. 

Even if you don't invest in a setup as extensive as David's, taking advantage of Alternative Energy's September special of $150 off a second set of solar panels when you purchase a SUNRNR power generator is a smart move to help you be prepared when severe weather or other natural disasters strike. This September, as FEMA holds its National Emergency Preparedness Campaign, you can participate by making a smart investment for you and your family's future. 

Alternative Energy, Inc. is a trusted name in the solar industry, and we are proud to work with our partners at SUNRNR to provide solar solutions to our customers. To learn more about our company or about solar power, contact us or feel free to give us a call at 484-593-4262. We look forward to talking with you! 

And we also want to take a moment to thank David for sharing his story with us.

SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc. Named National FEMA Award Winner

HARRISONBURG, VA. (August 25, 2016)—Winners of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2016 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards were announced August 24, 2016, with Harrisonburg-based SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc. taking top honors in the Technological Innovation category. This year’s award recipients developed innovative practices and programs that contributed to making communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient.

“We are more prepared for disasters when everyone in the community works together,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “FEMA is proud to honor individuals and organizations who are building communities that are more prepared for emergencies through creativity, innovation and collaboration.”

The 11 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award recipients will be recognized on September 13, 2016 in Washington, D.C. During the recognition ceremony, recipients will share their experiences, success stories, and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders. Jenny and Scott French will represent SUNRNR at the event.

“Having reliable, affordable and clean power backup during an outage or emergency isn’t just a pipedream anymore,” says SUNRNR of Virginia’s Jenny French. “You can prepare for that inevitable “rainy day” and store some sunshine and grid power to use during emergencies,” she added.

The three-person team behind SUNRNR of Virginia Inc., Alan Mattichak, Jenny French and Scott French. Photo courtesy Mark Rhodes and Virginia Business magazine.

SUNRNR (“Sun Runner”) of Virginia, Inc. manufactures a product useful before (mitigation), during (response), and after (recovery) such emergency-related lack of electrical power.  Public education and the promotion of preparedness are a major element of SUNRNR’s mission, with the goal of encouraging system owners, both personal and commercial, to be better prepared for the dangers and after-effects of a disaster and to participate in the response and recovery efforts.

In addition to the FEMA recognition, SUNRNR is also participating in FEMA’s annual National Preparedness Month during September by offering an “Are You Powered for Emergencies?” online Q & A event that will allow participants to post questions or comments about how to identify and prepare for emergency power needs, how to use stand-alone power to respond to and/or support recovery after disaster events, and overall, how to implement a sustainable power strategy. Interested individuals should visit http://tinyurl.com/jjhxn4p to join the chat.

National Preparedness Month is an awareness-raising event aimed at educating and empowering Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. The monthly series of public service announcements and events culminates in America’s PrepareAthon! on September 30. More than 6 million organizations, businesses and individual citizens have already signed up to participate in the PrepareAthon.

As an added incentive for citizens be more prepared for all types of emergencies, SUNRNR will offer $150 off an upgrade to a second set of solar panels with any purchase of a SUNRNR portable generator system through September 30, 2016. If buying in the U.S., purchasers have the option of receiving a free AC-DC charger with purchase instead.

The online chat and sales promotion are part of SUNRNR’s ongoing commitment to educate consumers about energy issues, consumption, and conservation in relation to disaster preparedness.  Together, the hundreds of SUNRNR’s in use to date would make a 135kW solar-plus-storage power plant, but with no infrastructure required. Combined, their total 1GWh would have required over 300,000 gallons of fossil fuel (2700 tons CO2) for comparable gas generators, or caused 700 tons of emissions if grid-generated.

Information about SUNRNR products can be found at www.sunrnr.com or by contacting Jenny French at jennyf@sunrnr.com or Scott French at scottf@sunrnr.com, 540.271.3403. 

Small & Distributed Energy Systems a Natural Solution to Providing Worldwide Reliable Power

Portable Solar, Wind, and Water Generators Are Impacting Isolated Communities and Remote Operations

In early October, 2015, Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin tore through the Bahamas causing torrential rainfall, storm surge flooding and total blackouts. On Crooked Island, one of the hardest-hit islands, about 85 percent of the homes in one settlement were reportedly destroyed, and residents were isolated without fresh water, power, or communications. A makeshift health clinic was set up in what was left of the airport terminal, but without power, the clinic was severely limited without lighting and the ability to refrigerate medicine.

Seven days after the storm, that critical power was restored to the clinic by a SUNRNR Portable Solar+Storage Generator, delivered through a massive relief operation.

“I cannot believe that a road can be totally taken by the seas. Its unbelievable…You have to see this to believe it.”

                                                                                        - Island Official

  

As was the case with Hurricane Joaquin, severe weather events can escalate rapidly, and damage to infrastructure and communication systems can delay relief efforts. In a calamity like the recent Nepal earthquake where road access was cut off and no relief solution could be trucked in, countless people are left without the light, communication, or clean drinking water that is so critical for survival.

Portable and decentralized power systems that produce energy on-site and off-grid can be an immediate, life-saving tool during and after emergencies.

 

John Hingley, creator of Renovagen Roll-Array, says delivering fuel for diesel generators can be impossible or cost-prohibitive in many circumstances. His company’s new thin, portable solar panel can be air-dropped from a helicopter and unrolled like a carpet. The 50 meter long “micro-grid-in-a-box” can be in full operation a few minutes after it is deployed and could be used, Hingley says, to power a remote hospital, forward operating base, or off-grid mining station.

https://vimeo.com/145871430

The lack of wastewater treatment in remote regions or in devastated communities can quickly develop into a health crisis.  REGEN, the world’s first solar powered, mobile wastewater treatment plant, fits into two shipping containers and doesn’t require a highly skilled operator on-site once the system is installed. The company’s target markets include humanitarian organizations directing disaster relief and refugee settlements, agricultural and mining operations, and remote rural communities.  “Small, isolated villages…have limited infrastructure budgets,” says co-founder Dr. Patrick Kiely.  “They ship in diesel once a year at great expense and use it to run everything. A renewable, self-powered wastewater system solves a multitude of problems.”

Reliable Power Increases Economic Stability and Security

Access to affordable and reliable energy is fundamental to reducing poverty, improving health and safety, and promoting economic growth. Electricity means clean water, education, heat, nighttime emergency hospital procedures, incubators for newborns, and communication services.  But around the world, 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity.

New developments within the portable solar, wind and water generator industries hold promise for reducing this dilemma. Solar technology is helping farmers in Africa combat water scarcity and communities develop self-reliance. And from a small collapsible wind turbine to harvesting nature’s kinetic energy, innovators are designing renewable energy solutions to bring power to the energy poor.

No Noise, No Fuel, No Fumes: Portable Solar Power Is Leading The Charge

Many of the recent developments in portable renewable power had their testing grounds within military and industrial applications.  Essential needs like lighting, clean water and sanitation, and communication capabilities hold true not just for humanitarian missions but also for forward military operations, construction sites, and mining stations.

Off-grid renewable solutions like SUNRNR Portable Solar+Storage Generators are replacing or augmenting gasoline generators on job sites.  With solar comes: zero fuel requirements on location, fewer moving parts, improved Environmental Impact Assessments, compliance with noise ordinances, and no fumes.

Renewable energy is a viable, cost-saving alternative for the construction industry, says the managing Director for Laing O-Rourke, developer of the world’s first fully redeployable large-scale solar-diesel hybrid power plant. “As specialists in major remote and regional projects, we have an opportunity to harness vast amounts of solar energy at our projects, for a sustainable engineering solution. Construction and engineering must break away from traditional processes if it is to evolve and deliver projects quickly, safely and more sustainably.”

The old model of generating electricity has always relied on transporting fuel or creating power far away and then transmitting that power. But now through the use of portable solar, wind, and water generators, communities and companies are able to shift to a “Small and Distributed” energy system – one that can produce reliable and life-altering power, on-site and on-demand.

Best of SunRunner Sphere 2015: More Uses, Better Access and Bigger Savings from Clean Energy Options

With the media and  industry experts touting 2015 as a historically pivotal year in the future of clean energy, we thought we’d take a look back at the most popular posts on the SunRunner Sphere this past year.

Finding new ways to incorporate small, but cumulatively significant renewable energy sources into recurring power requirements around business and home topped the most popular posts of 2015. Five Ways to Incorporate Portable Solar into Your Farm or Garden and 5 Considerations for Using Solar to Power a Water Pump offered lots of information and useful tips about what to consider when choosing alternative energy solutions for important equipment or machinery.

The business of making clean, off-grid, emergency-ready energy options more accessible in domestic and foreign markets also snagged lots of readers in 2015. SUNRNR’s participation in the Small Business Exporters Roundtable in the Spring of 2015.  Jenny French’s discussion of the key elements of legislation and business support required to ensure small businesses like SUNRNR can compete on the larger renewable energy playing field was well received, as was the in-depth look at bringing a new energy product to market in the SUNRNR Celebrates 10 Years series.

And it’s no surprise that articles featuring ways to save money with green products and practices were also big hits with readers. New Year’s Resolution: Save Energy (and Money!) offered suggestions for investing in solar, reducing gas use and tips for less waste at home and What Would a Random Power Outage Cost You? You Might Be Surprised helped readers rethink emergency planning, with an eye towards what an investment in alternative energy emergency options can save over time.

What will the energy picture look like in the coming year? Take a look at some of the predictions for 2016.  

5 Energy Trends to Watch in 2016

Solar and Renewable Energy Trends in 2016

Top Ten Clean Energy Trends Driving the Global Clean Energy Revolution

SUNRNR OF VIRGINIA, INC. JOINS TRADE MISSION TO CANARY ISLANDS

Harrisonburg, VA. SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc. is one of nine U.S. companies in the Canary Islands this week on a trade mission exploring opportunities on the Islands as well as West Africa. Companies from four states and Washington, D.C. are participating in the mission.

“Africa presents an incredible opportunity for the entire U.S. business community,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Antwaun Griffin. “The economic growth and market diversity on the continent mean there are opportunities for companies in just about any sector, and I’m glad to see such a strong delegation of businesses participating in this mission.”

The mission is organized by the Virginia and Washington, D.C. District Export Council, and certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will connect companies to government decision-makers from eight West African markets, facilitate business-to-business appointments with pre-screened potential partners in the region, and include technical site visits across the Canary Islands.

SUNRNR is a Shenandoah Valley based solar generator manufacturer. The SUNRNR line of products facilitates collection and storage of over 2,000 watts of solar, wind, or water energy that can be used for supplemental, remote, or off grid power in a wide-range of business and residential applications. The products’ durability, long life span, and low maintenance requirements make them particularly suitable for grid outages, disaster relief, rural electrification, and stand-alone power.

“Bringing SUNRNR to more markets that can truly benefit from access to portable power generated from available resources is not just a smart business move, it’s an important contribution to humanitarian and disaster relief efforts worldwide,” said SUNRNR principal Jenny French. “The Canary Islands is an excellent avenue for introducing more people to a renewable power option that not only has a multitude of commercial and personal energy applications, but that can run water pumps, refrigeration, and support medical operations during times of emergency.”
SUNRNR is also participating in the Africagua Conference, an event for renewable energy and water firms connecting to development opportunities in the region.

West Africa had the strongest economic growth on the continent in 2014, and the Canary Islands’ network of ports makes it an excellent launching point for entering multiple West African markets. The Canaries also boast a stable legal framework under the EU, and a low four percent corporate tax rate.

This trade mission is an important part of the United States’ Doing Business in Africa campaign, and comes two months after the U.S. Commercial Service led Trade Winds—Africa, the largest-ever U.S. trade mission to the continent. The U.S. government has committed billions of dollars to development initiatives in Africa, and has facilitated billions more in U.S.-Africa business deals since the start of the Doing Business in Africa campaign.

SUNRNR Offers Solar+Storage Disaster Relief Option

HARRISONBURG, VA. (October 27, 2015)—SUNRNR of Virginia, Inc., a Shenandoah Valley-based portable solar+storage generator company, is making news in areas hit hard by weather events, particularly during the 2015 hurricane season. Crooked Island in the southern Bahamas islands received a SUNRNR (SunRunner), temporarily donated by distributor CleanWaterSolutions, to provide power at the Colonel Hill airport terminal where a makeshift health clinic was set up following Hurricane Joaquin. The SUNRNR will provide lighting and critical refrigeration for medical supplies like insulin.

Photo credit: Tribune242.com

SUNRNR has made significant progress towards expanding the export of the locally manufactured portable units in recent months. After participating in a White House briefing with President Obama and senior Administration officials during a Small Business Exporters Roundtable in March, and being the featured company from Virginia in a joint project of the Office of US Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce titled “United States of Trade: 50 Stories in 50 States that Show the Impact of Trade Across the Nation,” SUNRNR is positioned to add more countries like the Bahamas to the existing list of Canada, Japan and several African countries they have been servicing. 

Working with the Virginia/DC District Export Council along with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the company’s president is scheduled to attend a trade mission trip to Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa Nov 16-20. SUNRNR applied for and was selected to join the trade mission aimed at helping U.S. firms in the energy, environmental technologies, industrial equipment and supplies, infrastructure and logistics sectors find partners from the Canary Islands and other regions of Spain to sell products and services in West Africa. Companies participating in the trip will also learn about the advantages of setting up an operation in the Canary Islands to pursue opportunities in West Africa.  This trip fits hand-in-hand with Governor McAuliffe’s new VITAL program, the Virginia STEP grant, and the Obama Administration’s Doing Business in Africa and Power Africa initiatives.

In addition to the devastation from Hurricane Joaquin, severe weather events worldwide such as #HurricanePatricia and #TyphoonKoppu emphasize a growing need for alternative power options around the world. The Canaries have faced a number of severe weather events as well, the most recent causing wide-spread school closures due to flash flooding from torrential rain. SUNRNR could provide important emergency power supplies during times of natural disaster in remote locations.

Information about SUNRNR products can be found at www.sunrnr.com or by contacting Jenny French at jennyf@sunrnr.com or Scott French at scottf@sunrnr.com, 540.271.3403.

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