Sven Nostrund moved to Mendocino County when he was 6 years old. Growing up in the area, he quips, “How could anyone not be into sustainable technology? We had Real Goods in the neighborhood. It’s something I feel like I’ve always been drawn to.” In December of 2018, his livelihood, education and passion for making the world a better place took Nostrund to Puerto Rico, where he worked in tandem with a non-profit organization to provide solar installations for three distinct locations on the island.
Nostrund took courses through Mendocino College’s Sustainable Technology program in 2016. “I took solar array classes instructed by Richard Silsbee.” From there, Nostrund began working for Silsbee’s company, Radiant Technology. He continued to explore his interest in sustainability when he attended a permaculture conference at Real Goods, where he met Kevin Asher of the One Earth Foundation.
“Kevin wanted to do a self-funded project in Puerto Rico installing solar panels as a post-hurricane relief effort. I volunteered to head up the installations,” he explains.
Three projects were selected, located at three separate locations on the island – the first, near the capital of San Juan, the second near Arroyo, on the southern side of the island and the third, near Aguada, located on the western side. The central portion of the island was the area most impacted by Hurricane Maria – an area still not suitable for this type of project.
“We had design constraints going into the project. The mounting system we selected had to be installed on flat, cement roofs. We needed to have power at the job site. For those reasons, we couldn’t support those hardest hit areas of the island,” Nostrund continues.
The project provided 1,120-watt solar systems consisting of four 280-watt panels to the three locations. What the three sites had in common were regular power outages, which could be alleviated through the installation of Nostrund’s backup power systems.
“In San Juan, we provided a system to a family that experienced constant outages. The system helped power their critical loads like lighting and refrigeration, with the anticipation that their energy costs will be reduced. In Arroyo, we installed a system for a backyard hydroponic farmer whose farm was destroyed in the hurricane. He wasn’t able to restart his business because when his pumps and his systems shut down during outages, his vegetables would die. The farm represented a significant income stream for the family,” Nostrund continues.
The third installation was created for the Earthship Foundation, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving bee populations in Puerto Rico. “Volunteers have come from all over the world to support this organization. The site experienced constant outages. The system we installed will help power their refrigerator and their well. It will go online once we get a transformer to them.”
Part of Nostrund’s job was to create a materials list and determine which supplies would have to be shipped to Puerto Rico and which materials could be obtained locally. To simplify the process, the projects utilized identical designs.
“We found an American-based supplier with a warehouse in Puerto Rico. They supplied the panels and cable. We found batteries for the systems locally, but we had to bring inverters, connectors, fittings and tools with us. For the trip, we checked two boxes of parts and a suitcase filled with tools. We went through a lot of head-scratching and about four iterations of the system designs. In the hours before we flew out, we were waiting for the last Amazon Prime boxes to show up in enough time to pack and get to the airport,” he smiles. “Luckily, everything came together without a hitch.”
This was Nostrund’s first trip to Puerto Rico, and given the level of unknowns and the level of detail necessary to complete the project, he had a certain degree of trepidation. “Usually when we do an installation, there’s a site visit where you determine the details of the project. Not being able to do that was a little unnerving. We packed enough extra parts and tried to think through everything we needed to be self-sufficient.”
Nostrund and Asher were able to complete the three installations in about ten days, with a little help from residents. The project was completely funded through Asher’s foundation.
Following the installations, Nostrund provided training to the residents. “Sandy Tanaka, one of the instructors at Mendocino College’s Sustainable Technology Program worked on an owner’s manual for the residents.” Redwood Valley resident and retired educator Clint Kelley helped translate the manual into Spanish.
“We focused on training people to maintain the batteries- not drawing them down too far and adding distilled water to the batteries when needed.” Nostrund estimates the batteries will last 5 to 7 years. “The solar panels could last for 40 years, and the inverters have about a 15-year lifespan.”
Nostrund is hoping to return to the island to work on more installations next year. In the meantime, he is continuing to work on solar consultation, promoting grid-tie solar panels. “The time to get solar is now. I think we’ve plateaued in terms of solar prices going down. They’re so cheap and so efficient, how much further down can they go? The technology is so cheap that people can save tens of thousands of dollars by switching to solar, thereby reducing your carbon footprint and shifting our energy grid forward. It’s the number one thing any homeowner can do to save money- even if you take out a loan. If you’re in PGE territory, you’re going to save money.”
While in Puerto Rico, Nostrund was inspired by a solar energy project that created micro-grids between schools, residences and other businesses, using block chain technology to share and distribute the electricity generated between the participating entities. “They’re using this opportunity to implement new technology that is far more efficient at meeting the needs of the community. This is the kind of paradigm shift we need. Technology can be very empowering. There are new systems for managing funds and distributing information that give us the ability to create new levels of efficiency that we’ve never had before.”
Nostrund feels that advances in battery technology will be the next big shift in the sustainable tech industry. “This is something we need. It will allow solar energy to scale up and become viable for mass adoption. Battery technology saves energy during the day and uses it at night when the grid is straddling to keep up with demand. We’re just beginning to do lithium-ion jobs. It’s a complicated, new realm.”
Nostrund notes there are still state solar credits available for homeowners that provide substantial price reductions on batteries. “Along with the state incentive, which cuts about 30% off your cost, there is still a 30% tax credit available, but this is the last year this credit will be offered at this percentage.”
Nostrund’s interest in sustainable technology is informed by his global viewpoint. “There is a societal shift which is tricky to navigate. There is a significant rise in non-material products like education and crypto-currency, which are radically transforming the way we do business and the way we transfer value, in ways that bring more sovereignty to individual users. We’re becoming more aware- of our environment, how we define ‘good and bad’ and how we identify issues that deserve our support.”
“We’ve always had technology, whether it was figuring out how to build better structures or create harder metals. We inadvertently created destructive technology. Now we’re creating alternatives. The global chaos we are seeing can be an impetus for us to dig deeper and find out what it means to be truly authentic and aware. One thing I learned on this trip: there are so many good things people are doing in the world- so many ways we are going in positive directions,” he concludes.
To learn more about the One Earth Foundation, visit them on Facebook.
