When the devastating Maui wildfires left thousands homeless, solar power pros Jinko Solar stepped in to provide them power.
By Exec Edge Editorial Team
World-renowned supplier and manufacturer of solar panels and energy storage systems Jinko Solar recently announced that it donated over 1,000 solar panels to the emergency housing initiative Ohana Hope Village. Located in the community of Kahului on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Ohana Hope Village was rapidly assembled in August 2023 to offer immediate shelter as well as sustainable housing solutions for individuals and families who were displaced by devastating wildfires. The donations began in September 2023.
“We applaud Ohana Hope Village for its swift and effective response in providing sustainable housing for families affected by the Maui fires,” said Nigel Cockroft, general manager of Jinko Solar (U.S.). “We hope that our contribution has played a role in providing comfort to affected families as they rebuild their lives.”
The world watched in horror on Aug. 8, 2023, as windy conditions fed a series of wildfires across Maui. An educated speculation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posits the flames could have been started when downed power lines sparked dry vegetation produced by drought conditions. According to The New York Times, the death toll from the tragedy now tops 100 lost lives. In the end, it ravaged Maui’s beautiful natural landscapes, caused roughly $5.5 billion in damages, consumed over 2,200 structures, and left thousands of people displaced.
Ohana Hope Village
Hawaii Off Grid: Architecture and Engineering sprang into action with Family Life Center to build shelters for those unhoused by the tragedy. For more than 40 years, Kahului’s Family Life Center has been helping residents of Maui live stable lives and navigate times of need through “a wide variety of supportive services that allow them to reconnect, heal, and succeed in life.” One of its primary focuses is addressing issues related to homelessness on the island. In the wake of the 2023 Maui fire, Family Life Center began spearheading the construction of the Ohana Hope Village with the help of partners in Maui and around the world.
One of these key partners was Hawaii Off Grid. Operating out of head offices in the community of Haiku, the firm deals in general architecture as well as water, wastewater, and energy system-specific projects across Maui. Beyond its wealth of experience in off-grid and remote projects, Hawaii Off Grid has long demonstrated a firm commitment to sustainable building practices and strives to offer the latest in renewable energy technology to its clients.
In collaboration with Family Life Center, Hawaii Off Grid created Kahului’s Ohana Hope Village with both resident needs and environmental concerns firmly in mind. As a community, it is specifically designed to sustain itself over time while accommodating the needs of multigenerational families.
Ohana Hope Village consists of 16 pods that share a total of 88 modular units among them. Each pod functions as a distributed microgrid with solar, energy storage, and a central biodiesel backup generator. The aim for all this infrastructure is the development of a sustainable, off-grid, carbon-neutral, net-zero energy community. By most accounts, the venture has proven successful.
Jinko Solar Steps Up
Jinko Solar was another essential partner in this success. One of the largest solar module manufacturers in the world, Jinko Solar has more than 14 production facilities and 26 company subsidiaries globally. To support the Ohana Hope Village project, Jinko Solar rushed photovoltaic modules to Maui in the wake of the devastating wildfires. Otherwise known as solar panels, PV modules use silicon or another semiconductor material to both capture sunlight energy and transform it into usable and sustainable electricity.
The donated Jinko Solar PV modules became an essential part of the overall electric system at Ohana Hope Village, and they continue to power the community grid today. This has proven a tremendous boon to the project as a whole. “We are grateful for Jinko Solar’s speedy and generous donation of solar panels to Ohana Hope Village,” said David Sellers, principal architect of Hawaii Off Grid. “Jinko Solar’s donation provides free, clean electricity, which enables us to direct more resources to supporting fire survivors in their recovery.”
In May 2024, the Hawaii news publication Honolulu Civil Beat reported on some of the Maui residents who have benefited from living in Ohana Hope Village. Former Lahaina resident Michele Fernandez, for example, had been homeless for months after the fire took her house. She felt extremely fortunate to pack her entire family into the enclosed carport of some church friends in central Maui.
Now, Fernandez, her husband, and their two young adult sons have moved into a pair of modular homes at Ohana Hope Village, epitomizing the project’s founding vision to provide multigenerational housing to those in need. Although the opening of Ohana Hope Village was delayed due to county building permitting and water line access issues, Fernandez praised the feelings of peace and hopefulness that came with finally having a home. “It’s all Lahaina people, and we’ll all have something in common,” she said. “We’ll have hope.”
Contact:
editor@executives-edge.com
