The Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment was recently visited by STBE alumnus and senior program manager James “JT” Trowbridge of the Footprint Project. Mr. Trowbridge presented to over 70 faculty and students on how the Footprint Project is managing and responding to natural disasters with dispersed energy hubs. These energy hubs provide vital access to electricity and supplies during emergencies, which are becoming more common as the climate changes. The presentation also included a tour of one of their trailer-based small-scale energy hubs, or “bee,” part of their larger beehive system. The bee provides solar-powered water filtration, supplying communities with clean drinking water without relying on fossil fuels, a heavily stressed resource.
Footprint Project was established in 2018 and has responded to disasters across the United States, Jamaica, and Ukraine. In 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western N.C. and leveled much of the area's critical infrastructure. Roads and bridges were swept away, and much of the power infrastructure was damaged, leaving thousands of people without power for weeks. Footprint Project stepped in and developed nearly 50 solar microgrids to power everything from well pumps to medical equipment. Today, they are helping to establish permanent resilient energy infrastructure for communities across western North Carolina. Learn more about Beehives at footprintproject.org or @footprintprjct on Instagram.
STBE Footprint Project_thumbnail
STBE Footprint Project_thumbnail