Ann Arbor launches “Solar Mobile Nanogrid” for education, sustainable energy

Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovation (OSI) is rolling out a new solar-powered trailer that will serve as a community engagement tool and mobile power source. The trailer, known as the Solar Mobile Nanogrid Unit, was purchased using funds from the city’s Community Climate Action Millage. It was unveiled at the 25th A2ZERO Green Fair on Sept. 19. 

“Our office is about sustainability and innovation,” says Bryce Frohlich, a community resilience specialist with OSI. “So we also really like to invest in what we see as deep community tools that can span a variety of different services.”

OSI will transform the unit into a “Living Learning Lab.” Frohlich says the idea is to create a place and tool that residents can “interact with, see, feel, and touch.”  

“We want people to understand not only why sustainability and local climate action is important, but also how to take action as well,” Frohlich says, adding that he wants residents to “get into the movement” of the city’s A2ZERO zero-emissions plan. 

In addition to serving as a mobile classroom, the unit will serve as a power source for community events and potential emergency responses. It operates quietly and produces no emissions. To maximize energy collection, solar panels are installed on both its wings and roof. Beyond that, the unit features a solid-state hydrogen storage system that allows it to generate and store energy even when sunlight is not available. 

Frohlich says Sesame Solar, the Jackson, Mich.-based company behind the unit, expressed genuine enthusiasm about the project. 

“What’s really cool is they’re excited for what we’ve bought the unit for,” he says. “We seem to be one of the rare cases that they are currently building for, which is a deep community engagement tool and power backup.” 

He describes community members as being both very curious and excited about the unit. Earlier in the month, OSI held a naming contest for the unit and received 75 responses.  

“The contest closed Oct. 3rd,” he says. “But you know what? If folks slip an entry in a little past, we’ll probably still have it open.”

Frohlich says residents can expect to see the trailer in their communities in the future through an innovative “residency” program. Plans are underway to place the unit in the city’s community resilience hubs for weeks, or even months, at a time.

“We want the unit to be able to be in a community space for long periods, so it can be activated for community engagement,” Frohlich says. “Then potentially it could supplement, and be a decarbonization tool, for any events or needs the hub may have.”

As OSI starts the process of awarding the winning name for the unit, he encourages residents to follow the department online and on social media to learn more.