CHICAGO(Oct. 11, 2017) – Following two devastating hurricanes, Americancitizens in Puerto Rico could face up to six months without power. Acollective of Chicago clean energy organizations has banded togetherto respond to this challenge and is enlisting members of the publicto get safe, renewable light to families in need.
Chicago-basedLuminAID is working with nonprofit partners to distribute solarlanterns, including models with phone chargers, to families in PuertoRico. A $10 pledge covers the cost of one solar lantern and can bemade by visitingluminaid.com/Chicago4PR.During the month of October,solar lantern sponsorships will be matched up to $10,000 by Chicago’sHanley Foundation, Invenergy and the Invenergy Future Fund. “It’shard to imagine living without power for days, weeks, months. Here’sa simple, inexpensive way to offer families some comfort and safety.We’re working to send thousands of solar lanterns and phonechargers to Puerto Rico as fast as possible,” said Amanda Hanley,CoFounder and CoDirector of Hanley Foundation.
TheHanley Foundation and Invenergy, North America’s largest,privately-held renewable energy company, became familiar withLuminAID as sponsors of the Clean Energy Trust Challenge, an annualcompetition that is the premier accelerator for cleantech startups inthe Midwest. Lights sponsored in the matched campaign will bedistributed to affected families by disaster relief partners such asConvoy of Hope, a nonprofit distributing aid to Puerto Rico andislands across the Caribbean.
“Withincreasing calls for renewable energy and resilient rebuilding on theisland, we hope to provide some real relief that’s sustainable,too. Hours of safe, bright light. No fuel or batteries needed,”stated Amy Francetic, Invenergy’s Senior Vice President of NewVentures & Corporate Affairs.
Withthe power grid largely destroyed, an estimated 85 percent of PuertoRico’s 3.4 million residents are without power today.
Comingto the aid of disaster victims is exactly why graduate students AnnaStork and Andrea Sreshta created LuminAID lanterns. The inflatablesolar device provides hours of light charged by the sun. And now anintegrated phone charger can help people stay in contact with familymembers and relief services. Their invention won a top prize at the2013 Clean Energy Trust Challenge in Chicago, and helped them close adeal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank in 2015.
Todate, more than 22,000 LuminAID lights have been pledged forhouseholds without power in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,Caribbean islands, Texas, Florida and Mexico. Chicago-based energyutility company ComEd has sponsored 5,000 LuminAID solar lanternsthat are already on their way to the island. Several othernon-profits including the Clean Energy Trust, Faith in Place, GoGreen Illinois and the Natural Resources Defense Council, willpartner in promoting the Windy City campaign.
LuminAID’spress kit with high-res images can be accessed here. Formore information on LuminAID, please contact:CeliaEckert+1 (312) 600-8997celia@luminaid.com AboutLuminAID Whenwe think of our most basic human needs, we often think of food, waterand shelter. But when architecture graduate students Anna Stork andAndrea Sreshta were asked to design a product to assistpost-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, they considered thedangerous conditions at night in the tent cities and turned theirattention to another critical need: light. They designed the LuminAIDlight to be easily distributed in time of need by packing andshipping flat.
In2015, Anna and Andrea went on the hit TV show Shark Tank, and wowedthe "Sharks" so much that they got offers from every Shark!They accepted an offer from Mark Cuban, and he was the company'sfirst investor.
AboutLuminAID’s Relief Programs ThroughLuminAID’s Give Light Get Light program, supports sponsor solarlanterns that are distributed by non-profit partners. Supporters canchoose to Donate a Light, and pledge $10 to sponsor a solar lanternfor a family in need. They can also choose the Give Light Get Lightpackage to purchase a LuminAID light for themselves and sponsoranother lantern to be distributed by one of LuminAID’s charitablepartners. Over 100,000 lights have been provided to those in needthrough relief programs, and LuminAID lights are in use in over 100countries around the world. LuminAID has been working with nonprofitpartners to provide lights to Syrian refugees for the past two years,and is currently focusing on disaster relief for those affected byHurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
AboutHanley FoundationTheHanley Foundation supports a range of initiatives to advance a stableclimate, the transition to a clean energy economy, and environmentaleducation here in Chicago and around the globe.
AboutInvenergyInvenergydrives innovation in energy. Invenergy and its affiliated companiesdevelop, own, and operate large-scale renewable and other cleanenergy generation and storage facilities in the Americas, Europe andAsia. Invenergy's home office is located in Chicago and it hasregional development offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico,Japan, Poland and Scotland.
Invenergyand its affiliated companies have developed more than 16,000megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction orcontracted, including wind, solar, natural gas-fueled powergeneration and energy storage projects. For more information, pleasevisit www.invenergyllc.com. About Invenergy’s Future Fund TheInvenergy Future Fund invests in innovators using technology tomake energy more affordable, reliable, and secure.