This startup devised a genius way to deliver supplies to people struggling in war-torn countries: ‘Recover and rebuild’
An Italian startup is using so-called “oil” barrels to carry solar power kits — sending big containers of solar modules, inverters, and battery storage inside a strange-but-useful container.
The company, Barrel, designed its renewable energy storage kits for remote areas and conflict zones, with the barrel providing durability and ease of transport, as reported by Electrek.
The standard package comes with solar panels that produce a total of six kilowatts of power, a 5.6-kilowatt hybrid inverter for single-phase electricity, and a 3.55-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, Electrek reported. The kit can be a much-needed source of power in areas without a reliable grid or where energy systems have been knocked out.
To get it working, users just need to unfold and connect the solar panels and plug the output cable into the power grid. It also has an industrial input connector, per Electrek.
Barrel’s main clients are private nonprofit and government organizations, which purchase each barrel for $3,300.
A transition to renewable energy sources, like solar, is imperative in the fight against toxic pollutants that are warming our planet. The good news is that today, renewable energy is actually the cheapest power option in many parts of the world, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported.
In fact, renewables could end up providing 65% of the world’s total electricity supply by 2030, according to IRENA, and studies have shown that today, every dollar of investment in renewables creates three times more jobs than in dirty energy industries, reported the UN.
Barrel sources its components from Switzerland, while the solar kit itself is assembled in Venice, per Electrek.
The company’s eco-friendly barrels are currently available in the Middle East, Africa, and Ukraine. Turkey began receiving barrels after parts of the country were ravaged by an earthquake.
“Our priority is always to offer immediate and reliable energy solutions in emergency situations, helping communities to recover and rebuild,” founder Matteo Villa told pv magazine Italia, per Electrek (in translation). “We continue to work with international and local organizations to extend our support into other areas in need of energy assistance.”
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