Skyhook Solar deploys solar charging stations in Navajo Nation

Skyhook Solar, provider of innovative, easily deployable solar solutions, has partnered with the Cameron Chapter Community to deploy Solar Station Kits to the Navajo Nation, with a goal of providing a solution for families to have resilient and safe lighting and small device charging in their homes where current infrastructure is lacking.

One of the stations will be providing free WiFi for students. Aspen Global Change Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing global change science and solutions, is the pilot project’s fiscal sponsor. Four Solar Station Kits distributed around the community will provide in-home charging capabilities for up to 40 families.

“We’re pleased to be working with Skyhook Solar to bring renewable energy to the Navajo Nation. These Solar Stations will be integral in reducing kerosene usage for lighting, providing our community with a safer, healthier, and more sustainable lighting option,” says Jamescita Peshlakai, an Arizona State Senator and Cameron Chapter Community member. “This initiative will also help our students stay connected and complete remote learning during COVID by providing WiFi and device charging.”

Each of the four Skyhook Solar Station Kits are equipped with 400 watts of solar output and 56 USB charging outlets. The stations were delivered as a flat-pack with necessary assembly tools and hardware, for on-site assembly, making the kits perfect for seamless rural deployments. This flexible solution can be equipped with battery back-up, USB charging, and broadband capabilities depending on local needs.

“Skyhook can bring electricity to people the grid will never reach,” says Skyhook Solar CEO Daniel Delano. “The Navajo Nation was hit early and hard by COVID, and where access to the internet is limited, the unfairness of school shutdowns is compounded. The charging of a few tablets via Solar Station is a small step, but I’m happy we’ve been a part of it. I’d also hope it amounts to a step in raising consciousness — about the unfairness of climate change to individuals and individual communities.”

The pilot project between Skyhook Solar and the Navajo Nation, which commenced in November 2020, is the start of a partnership that will provide a research opportunity to evaluate the feasibility of a future carbon offset program. One of the project’s objectives is to offset kerosene usage for lighting by providing sustainable Solar Station Kits to off-grid communities. Kerosene lighting, a contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions, presents major health risks to communities dependent on kerosene for their lighting needs. In that context, Skyhook’s goal is to provide brighter and cleaner lighting for off-grid communities around the world, while also providing power for communications and other needs.

News item from Skyhook Solar

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/12/skyhook-solar-deploys-solar-charging-stations-in-navajo-nation/