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North American Clean Energy Magazine | March/April 2025 | Julia Fowler
In any state of emergency, two of the most essential resources are shelter and power. Failing to immediately address the unequivocal need for shelter and power during times of crisis leaves communities vulnerable and limits emergency responders’ ability to provide crucial support.
The aftermath of unexpected disaster
Disaster can strike unexpectedly anywhere at any time. States of emergency can be declared due to natural disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, extreme temperatures, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. Public health crises, civil emergencies, and military conflict are also leading causes of states of emergency.
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, there were 27 weather and climate disaster events within the United States that were large enough to cause losses exceeding $1 billion each in 2024. These events included flooding, droughts, hurricanes, tropical cyclones, wildfires, and winter storms.
When disaster strikes and a state of emergency is declared, the appropriate emergency management teams will take action in the affected communities. In the US, emergency response operations are typically organized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Acting fast to address the most essential needs
In times of disaster, shelters act as the base for many essential functions. It is one of the most basic requirements for survival — often taught in entry level psychology classes, under the popularly known Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, shelter falls under the most elemental human need, physiological needs. In fact, shelter is so critical that it is recognized as one of the “core clusters” by the United Nations for greater coordination in humanitarian crises. The cluster approach is activated by the Emergency Relief Coordinator as an approach for non-refugee humanitarian emergencies to efficiently meet the most critical needs of affected populations.
Not only does shelter act as a place of refuge and safety, but it creates space for privacy, dignity, sense of security, treatment, and recovery. Temporary shelters provide rapid solutions during the response phase of emergencies allowing for smoother transitions toward recovery following disaster.
It is imperative that emergency shelter solutions are easily accessible and rapidly deployable in any setting. Temporary shelter may be used to set-up resiliency hubs, medical facilities, temporary housing, distribution centers, supply storage, communication and command centers, and many other first-response hubs.
The unequivocal need for power
Power is a vital resource in times of crisis; without access to a power source, there is no access to medical equipment, heating and cooling systems, communication tools, lighting, water supply, and other critical devices. In remote locations and areas left with disruptions to the local power grid, the need for a reliable power source can be life or death.
The power of solar in times of crisis
Historically, traditional diesel generators have been viewed as the standard power source in times of emergency. Today, more users are considering solar to be the ideal solution for backup power sources as more battery systems and clean energy sources become accessible through wide-ranging system sizing, user friendly interfaces, improved safety features, and financial incentives.
Aside from being environmentally conscious, there are many advantages when opting for solar in place of traditional generators. For example, one of the greatest benefits of choosing solar is the drastic reduction in the need for fuel. Since solar power is continuously derived from photovoltaic panels, the need for fuel can be completely eliminated in many settings, and when solar cannot be the sole source of power, the generator system size required is drastically reduced, as is the need for fuel resupply. Additionally, the battery systems used in solar power systems are completely silent – unlike the loud and ear damaging roar of a diesel generator – improving conditions in emergency settings by minimizing noise pollution.
New technology on the market
Today, companies specializing in unique innovative technology like this have successfully created solar powered fabric that is integrated with lightweight photovoltaic cells, making solar power more readily accessible, significantly lighter, and more resilient. Without glass panels, solar can be accessed in more settings, easily erected, and used without the fear of glass panels cracking or breaking.
With Using this advanced solar technology, companies like Brooklyn-based Pvilion are designing turnkey solutions that provide rapidly deployable shelter that is connected to mobile battery kits. that These provide enough power for equipment, heating and cooling systems, communication tools, lighting, water supply, and other critical devices. Thanks to the flexible nature of the solar fabric and modularity of the mobile battery systems, Solar Powered Integrated Structure (SPIS) kits are easily packed up for travel and storage and can be assembled with minimal manpower within minutes.
Additionally, since the solar and batteries are integrated with the shelter system, the entire Solar Powered Integrated Structure (SPIS) kits qualify for a 30 percent tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Under this act, nonprofits, government agencies, and other tax-exempt entities may still benefit through the Elective Pay Provision.
Author is Julia Fowler at Pvilion, which integrates solar cells with fabric, and builds fabric products that generate electricity. Pvilion | www.pvilion.com
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