Understanding How Portable Solar Generators Work

When it comes to portable solar, there’s a lot of old information and misinformation out there.  The SunRunr portable solar generator is proof that solar can be a reliable part of your daily and emergency power plan.

Our solar + storage systems have been described by Practical Preppers as a well-built, tough, serious, sustainable solution. We want our customers and our community to be ready for what life throws at them.

 Clarity & Transparency with the SunRunr

  

SunRunr has been nationally recognized for our work to educate the public and promote preparedness. We work closely with our customers to find the best solution for their specific application and to ensure they understand the abilities of their SunRunr system. We strive to assure our dealers also understand the benefits and limitations of portable solar and don't oversell its capabilities. Our transparency and customer relationships are reasons why our customer satisfaction rate is 99%.

When it comes to shopping around for portable solar, it’s important to be able to accurately compare your options. But the technical jargon can get heavy quickly.

Below, we’ll touch on the basics of what you need to know, as well as provide links if you want to dive into the technical deep end.  If at any point you have questions, just pick up the phone to talk to us or call one of our certified dealers.

Solar in the Bank

Think of a portable solar energy system like banking. You can only withdraw electric energy that has been deposited into your account.  Your account has defined minimum and maximum limits, and you can maintain a maximum balance by turning off the unit when not in use and recharging when possible.  Charging while in use is equivalent to getting cash back on your purchases (power consumption), stretching your "dollar". And best of all, your source of income is indefinitely renewable.

When choosing the right solar power option for your needs, there are three key factors to compare that will impact your satisfaction:

1.    Power Storage (your savings account) 

For the purposes of our analogy, the battery within the solar generator is your savings account. The type, capabilities and quality of the battery affect your “withdrawals”.  Larger-battery systems like the SunRunr can handle high surge output and have a higher sustained usage before recharge is required.

2.    Power Generation (deposits) 

Your power generation is impacted by the quality of the solar panels, your capability to add additional solar panels, and the ability to deposit energy from other sources (grid, wind/water turbine, bicycle).

3.    Power Output (withdrawals) 

Some solar generators like the SunRunr allow you to withdraw both DC and AC power out of your “account”.  The AC inverter within the generator determines the withdrawals you can make.  If you’re looking to run many devices simultaneously or run high amp load tools (compressors, well pumps, table saws), your solar generator will need an AC inverter that can handle the load and surge.  And if you’ll be running sensitive electronic devices (such as some pellet stoves, desktops, and high-end audio), you’ll need to upgrade to a full sine inverter.

In the case of the SunRunr system, if you choose to keep the solar panels attached during power usage, you can be depositing while withdrawing (aka “sustainable daily rate”).

Real Power for the Real World 

A SunRunr is built for those who need serious power in serious times, such as in the event of a disaster or a power grid failure.  But we’ve also designed our system to be a plug-and-play, accessible solution for those seeking entry-level solar or needing power for their agribusiness or workshop.  Would you take the SunRunr camping? No. But here’s what you can do:

Take care of your family during a hurricane.

Use a SunRunr during storm cleanup or on a construction site.

Power a well pump or compressor on your farm.

Get an appliance, such as your washing machine, off-grid.

A SunRunr system can power many appliances at once (such as a fridge, lights, and fan), but a SunRunr’s forte is running high inrush/surge equipment like pumps, microwaves, and tools.

How does the SunRunr do all this? 

Quality components, a serious battery, and a high-output inverter.

Power Storage: 2000 Watt Hours useable before recharge required (expandable)

Power Generation: 290 W with the standard 2 solar panels (expandable)

Power Output of AC Inverter: 3,500 W max continuous power / 10,000W surge

Power Output of DC: 30-amp

Sustainable Usage Rate: 1500 W per day (expandable)- available every day if panels have 6 hours of sun per day

You can find more juicy technical specs plus other general FAQ on our website.

And we’re always up for a good conversation about Watt Hours, Amp Hours, and Peukert’s Law.

Expandable to Meet Your Needs 

The SunRunr product lineup includes “Our Flagship” Solar Generator 110/120 VAC, 60 Hz, the “Well Pump” model for U.S. devices needing 240 VAC, 60 Hz, and the “International” model that runs 220/240 VAC, 50 Hz.

All SunRunr generators can be easily expanded. Add two more solar panels to each system through the AUX portal using an external charge controller. Or double your energy storage and generation with our Power Module.

Home “Grown”, Quality Craftsmanship 

SunRunr generators are 100% assembled in America with 75% by value American-made dependable components.  The unit is enclosed in a steel chassis for ruggedness and safety. Yes, it costs more. But these safety features and quality components protect you and your family while providing a transportable system that is plug-and-play easy.

Field Serviceable 

Our SunRunr systems come with a one year limited warranty which covers defects in materials and/or workmanship. Over 99% of the time, we’re able to troubleshoot issues over the phone or by email.  And SunRunr systems are field serviceable.  Any electrician can repair our component-based unit for years of investment return. 

Safe Power, Safe Family 

How will you generate power that is safe and reliable for your family? Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms involving power outages. A SunRunr portable generator eliminates this threat.  It can be run indoors, creates no toxic fumes or noise, and doesn’t require the transportation or storage of fuel - an especially limited resource during and after an emergency.  Used outdoors, a solar generator provides the power you need without sparks and the danger of starting brush fires.  All this and without the need to change the oil, check the battery cells, and refill gas cans!

 In the home, on the farm, in an emergency…put a SunRunr portable solar generator to work for you, so you can focus on what matters most.

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. 

Fish Hatchery in Palau Uses Solar Power from Alternative Energy, Inc.

When Dr. Jim McVey, the CEO of Indigo Seafood, began planning for a hatchery in the island nation of Palau, he faced a unique challenge. There is no "grid" to which the plant could connect for vital functions such as air blowers and water pumps. Consequently, he began exploring potential off-grid power solutions and became acquainted with Alternative Energy, Inc.

SUNRNR a Solar Solution

After working with Alternative Energy, Inc. president Bill Finch, Dr. McVey selected a SUNRNR generator to power the plant. Because of the unique circumstances, the pair had to work to create a custom solar solution involving a pump with a variable speed starter and extra solar panels to handle the plant's needs.

Recently, Indigo Seafood completed installation of the solar system and the hatchery is now up and running.

"All the pumps and solar systems are here in Palau. Fish cages are in the water. The Seabees are helping us install everything. It is very exciting … the whole island is excited about the project," Dr. McVey reports.

A Strong Recommendation of Alternative Energy, Inc.

We are beyond thrilled to have been able to help Dr. McVey and his company set up this project.

"I would recommend Alternative Energy and Bill Finch for any of your solar system needs," says Dr. McVey.

Whether it's a remote island in the South Pacific, a quaint cabin in Appalachia, or a suburban home in Pennsylvania, Alternative Energy, Inc. has the product and expertise to meet your needs.

"I got into this business to provide solar solutions to people and companies of many different backgrounds," says Bill Finch, president of Alternative Energy, Inc. "Sometimes, that even takes you to an island you'd never heard of, and that's what I love about it."

To see how Alternative Energy, Inc. can help you find a solar solution, contact us today or call 484-593-4262.

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.

###

Five Ways to Incorporate Portable Solar into Your Farm or Garden

Guest post by Jenna Clark

There’s no question that solar energy is hot right now (pun intended), both on the commercial scale and the home scale. Just this week, Amazon announced its intention to build the largest solar farm in Virginia, a 900-acre farm that will “generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes for a year,” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.  And according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the number of homes with solar systems installed has been soaring; from 30,000 in 2006 to 400,000 in 2013.

Advances in solar technology and falling costs have made solar more accessible than ever, especially in the field of portable solar energy (see www.sunrnr.com). Portable solar energy is especially useful on farms and in urban gardens, where renewable energy including windmills have long been a source of power. Here are five ways to incorporate portable solar energy into your farm business or home garden, at any scale.

1. Powering livestock fencing. We’ll start with the most recognizable and widely used method for fencing livestock on the farm: solar-powered electric fencing. This is a great place to start incorporating portable solar energy into your system, as fencing can be a great distance from electrical outlets and fences may need to be rotated quickly and frequently for grazing animals. 

Image via http://ricfeelectn.com

2. Running tools. If you’ve ever worked or lived on a farm, you know how frequently equipment, fencing, buildings, and tools need to be repaired (hint: something is fixed every single day). Or maybe you’re building a new shed, barn, greenhouse, walk-in cooler, or portable chicken tractor. Using a SunRnR to power the tools you need at a construction site or out in the field can save time, money, and stress.

3. Watering livestock, irrigating, or aerating a pond. A solar powered well pump is another popular use of renewable energy on the farm, especially if you have a lot of acreage. With a single cow drinking up to 24 gallons of water per day in the heat, having a reliable pump is critical. Another reason why choosing portable solar with a quality battery is key – during the summer months when water usage is at its peak, the SunRnR can store enough solar energy to power a well pump even if the sun is not shining.

4. Heat or ventilate a greenhouse or grow indoors with grow lights and water pump. Using solar energy to heat and ventilate the plants in your greenhouse is an effective and efficient use of power. It is also useful if you are looking into heating water and pumping it through tubes similar to a radiant floor like these systems: https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/cat1;ft_cooling_vent_heating;ft_radiant_heat_systems.html  or http://www.deltatsolutions.com/enews/HotWaterHeat.html

5. Light your pathways and outbuildings or provide refrigeration. Work on the farm rarely ends right at sundown, but even if it does, use your SunRnR to power a few strands of LED garden lights http://www.yardenvy.com/p/20'-LED-Fairy-Lights-Cool-White-Silver-Wire-58806.htm?gclid=CKaymqCPk8YCFYaRHwodOxwASQ and throw a well-deserved farm party to sample your delicious home-grown fare and celebrate the season’s hard work. 

Image via bunkycooks.com, Farm dinner at Manakintown, Virginia

Portable solar power is an investment, but one that is paying off for more people, increasingly rapidly. Clean renewable energy makes sense, especially on a farm where taking good care of the land means leaving a meaningful and healthy legacy for the next generation. 

5 Considerations for Using Solar to Power a Water Pump

Interested in using solar to power a water pump for your home, farm or cabin? Here are 5 things to consider:

In our first blog post of the year we mentioned the incredible potential for using a SUNRNR solar generator to power water pumps, especially in remote locations around the world where access to electrical utilities is costly or impossible. But you can also start right in your own back yard - solar energy is an economic and environmentally friendly option for providing power to pump water for irrigation, livestock, and your home. In fact, according to Colorado State University, solar powered water pumps have been used in the United States for more than 20 years and the number of systems continues to increase as the price of photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar panels drops. The average solar panel now costs around 75% less than it did just five years ago.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you consider your solar-powered water pump options:

• Water Storage/Consumption: how much water will you need? The average person uses between 80 – 100 gallons of water per day. Milking cows can require up to 25 gallons of water per day and up to 40 gallons in hot weather. Be sure to factor the requirements for water flow and water storage into your overall system design.
• Pumps may be powered by standard alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). DC appliances are typically more efficient than their AC counterparts, using one-third to one-half the energy, but some designs may be powered directly from solar panels, requiring sunshine during use. SUNRNRs store the sunshine for use later and provide either type of current.
• The SUNRNR system is portable – making it a great option to carry in a pickup truck or mount on a trailer and move with livestock at multiple water sources.
• A SUN240 HYPERLINK "http://www.sunrnr.com/Products-Pricing.html"“Well Pump” model comes with two 140 W solar panels and stores 2000 W of useable energy. There are many variables to consider including duty cycle and amp draw at pump start, but SUN240s are typically used to power 240VAC well pumps up to 3/4 HP and to a depth of 300'. Check out our detailed well pump fact sheet here and be sure to contact us with your pump’s specifications and your water usage so we can help you determine your daily power requirements and options.
• Solar generators are also fantastic to use as back up power in your home in the event of an outage – in the words customer Bill G, “ The SUNRNR 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.”

Are you using your SUNRNR to power a well pump? Let us know in the comments below. What else will a SUNRNR run? Check out more examples here.

Content contribution by Jenna Clarke

SUNRNR Celebrates 10 Years--Part 1 "Inventing the First Solar Generator"

SUNRNR Inventor Alan Mattichak putting a unit through the paces.

Ten years ago, on a brisk November morning in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Alan Mattichak awoke from a deep sleep with the idea for an invention that would change the course of his life.

Since he was a toddler, Alan had been interested in electricity. In 2004, he was enjoying a career developing and installing electrical systems and gas-powered generators. The thought of using solar energy had not entered his mind, but on that morning in November, he awoke with the entire plans for a portable solar generator called the “SunRunner” in his head. 

He quickly set to work translating the plans existing in his brain into a durable, quality product. Ten years later, he and two business partners are now selling SUNRNR portable solar generators throughout the United States and around the world. In the process, Alan created a symbiotic relationship with NeuroRestorative Virginia, a nearby rehabilitative center for individuals who have suffered brain injuries.

However, creating a lasting quality product - when only 1 out of 5,000 inventions have successful product launches - takes more than just a brilliant idea. At a time when solar energy companies have come and gone, here is why SUNRNR is thriving 10 years later:

Tell us a little about the invention process. 

Alan: The idea came to me fully formed – it was a gift given to me from God for a higher good. First I ordered the components and made a prototype that worked. Then I fine-tuned the development and completed more field-testing. At that time I saw that this could be a good, useful tool for the world. Within a year I got the trademark – it went right through the first try. Then I got the patent and started building the SUNRNR. All of this took a few years.

Quick fact: Alan kept his Model T in mind during development, ensuring SUNRNR’s were innovative, rugged, powerful, easy to use, and classic.

How is SUNRNR manufactured and how is the community involved?

Alan: I was familiar with NeuroRestorative Virginia and their program [providing rehabilitation services]. On a whim, I asked the director for help with a small project for SUNRNR. Eventually, it turned into a once-a-week vocational workshop where residents help in the sub-assembly of the solar generators which provides cognitive skills-building, mental and physical stimulation, recreation, non-competitive wages, and useful work. When the guys start doing this work, they start getting better. Everyone was stunned with the improvement that was happening in this program. It’s been a blessing and very rewarding to watch.

Quick fact:  75 percent of the SUNRNR’s components are purchased locally and the generator itself is assembled at NeuroRestorative Virginia’s Weyers Cave facility.

   

What do you see next for the SUNRNR?

Alan: SUNRNR has thousands of potential uses. One of my hopes is that they would end up in places around the world where a little electricity goes a long way. Clean water is the single biggest health issue in most of the world. That could change lives and health situations really quickly. The idea for the SUNRNR was a gift given to me for a higher good. There have been lots of blessings in my life but this is a special chapter.

Quick fact:  Many beautiful yellow boxes are currently producing personal power in Canada, Africa, and Japan.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the SUNRNR Celebrates 10 Years story!  

Interview by Jenna Clarke