From Relief to Resilience: How Mobile, Rapidly Deployable Solar+Battery Systems Played a Role after the Maui Wildfires

In early August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui. The wind-driven fires prompted evacuations, caused widespread damage, killing at least 99 people and leaving six persons missing in the town of Lahaina on Maui's northwest coast. 

For the Lahaina fire alone, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated that over 2,200 buildings had been destroyed, overwhelmingly residential and including many historic landmarks in Lahaina. The damage caused by the fire has been estimated at nearly $6 billion.

On December 7, 2023 Footprint Project and New Use Energy hosted a 30-minute webinar and discussed the challenges, opportunities and potential future of rapidly deployable solar energy systems in a disaster relief and resilience role highlighting recent events in Maui, as well as past deployments.

Speakers:

Lee Feliciano, NUE COO - Solar industry leader and solar finance expert in the residential, C&I, Community Solar and utility solar PV sectors. 

Jamie Swezey, Footprint Project Program Director - Coordinates the deployment of solar assets on the ground for Footprint Project, including identifying and prioritizing areas of need.