We Share Solar didn’t let snowy weather prevent them from leading a workshop on Solar Suitcase installation….they held an indoor hands-on training in Princeton New Jersey for volunteers headed to remote communities, using walls and rooftops simulating those found developing countries.
We Share co-director Gigi Goldman was determined to create the opportunity for volunteer teams to practice installation techniques before they head to Peru and Haiti. With the help of Linda Gaffney and Warcheerah Kilima, Gigi organized an ambitious workshop, utilizing three new constructions: (1) a wall for Solar Suitcase installations, (2) A knee-high corrugated tin flat to practice drilling and panel layout, and (3) an 8 foot hig
h hut with a corrugated tin rooftop.
The first team, sponsored by Princeton University PACE Center and Princeton Environmental Institute, is bound for Peru this March. They will be installing three Solar Suitcases in community centers in the more remote Abra Malaga area in a community called Corpani Penas.
The second team heads to Haiti in March and June and includes members of Stone Hill Church of Princeton and Konekte (an educational nonprofit focused on building partnerships between Princeton and Fond Parisien, Haiti). Suitcases will also be installed in community centers. Suitcases for these Haiti-bound teams were built by local schools -Princeton Day School and The Stuart School – as part of We Share Solar’s student education program.
The two teams worked together to use power tools, practice safety skills, and learn how to safely attach solar panels to rooftops and mount Solar Suitcases to wooden walls. By the end of the day, the teams were armed with blue We Share Solar Suitcases and the skills to install them. We can’t wait to hear their stories from the field!
