Chris Clark of Sunflower Solutions wowed a diverse crowd at our April 27th EcoTuesday event here in downtown Cleveland with an authentic delivery and unprecedented demonstration of his innovative solar technology at the Club at Key Center. His unique application of manually-adustable solar panels that track the sun over time is already changing the world in countries like Haiti, India, Kenya, and Nigeria - one installed Empower Plant at a time.
Chris, who is just 23 years of age and already a recipient of a $30,000 Civic Innovation Lab grant here locally, started by telling a bit of his story - how he had been conducting internatinoal aid and relief work overseas and started seeing the need to solve societal problems through eco-innovation. Another early invention of his was a solar-based water pump to allow for potable water to reach more people in African villages with a dearth of clean sources of electricity- if any electricity.. at all. Most electrical power in such places is delivered off the grid, but it is usually sourced via gasoline and diesel generators which require constant refilling and exposure to unhealthy fuel and fumes, not to mention unnecessary energy expenditure to obtain the fuel.
Another great asset of the design lies in its simplicity - though other solar arrays exist which track the sun to deliver similar yields of up to 40 percent over conventional solar, they are very complex and expensive. The Empower Plant is unique worldwide in its simplicity of use and provision of such capability using human power - a special color-coded system guiding even a small child to easily position equipment weighing hundreds of pounds in seconds, three times daily. This way the expensive automated tracking systems which are not feasible in the developing world are nearly matched in efficiency by Sunflower. This is especially valuable in places where advanced technology expertise and maintainance capability is still lacking - it sometimes helps, as Chris reminded us, to keep in mind that over 2 billion people worldwide still lack electricity.
The company mission is to work with NGOs, nonprofits, and people serving globally to help empower and educate people with the tools and education needed to bring affordable solar anywhere in the world, wherever and whenever it is needed the most. Over time one Empower Plant can save over $100,000 over the prevailing paradigm of fuel generator use. Also redeeming was the commitment this promising company has made to remain in Cleveland and use Cleveland-made parts. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland recently put it this way: " Sunflower Solutions. Dreamed up in Ohio. Designed in Ohio. Made in Ohio. And serving the world."
It was an honor for Cleveland EcoTuesday to host Chris Clark and his team and allow them the opportunity to tell a powerful story, make valued connections, and demonstrate their world-changing solar technology.
