Maui-based Mobile Power Hawaiʻi launches large-scale mobile solar generator

Mobile Power Hawaiʻi announced the launch of its new mobile solar generator, the PowerCube. The PowerCube is a formidable 10 kW solar array with 28 kWh of stored energy mounted to a trailer. This system is completely self-sufficient and nonexistent in the current marketplace. 

Units can be used for a variety of disaster relief efforts, including mobile medical facilities, resilience hubs, and even food trucks. For residential use, one unit can support a single-family home with 100A service and possibly larger homes (200A service) with additional batteries. Corey Barth was able to use one unit to power his six-person household for three weeks, including three air conditioners, two refrigerators, and a conventional water heater.

The flexibility of the PowerCube and its production capabilities are the result of longtime Maui residents Corey Barth and Paul Maselli’s ingenuity and problem-solving in the wake of the Lahaina fires. While volunteering, Maselli and Barth saw firsthand the logistical challenges disaster relief efforts were facing. It was difficult to procure generators, let alone fuel them, as the devastation knocked out all the gas stations in the vicinity. Fuel had to be delivered from the other side of the island weekly, which was logistically unstable. 

“We originally built the Powercube to bring power, water, communications, and first aid to Lahaina after the fires,” said Maselli. “The examples of what it can support outside of disaster relief are countless, and the unit can be modified to suit the needs of the end-user.”

Technological innovation born out of incredible need led to the creation of the PowerCube. The robust capabilities of the solar array and storage system allow the PowerCube to provide electricity in a variety of situations. Currently, one of the large PowerCube units is providing electricity to Truth Excavation, a clean-up company working in the burn zone. This unit is capable of supporting a job site office trailer and several spider boxes for construction equipment and power tools. 

The ability to move a renewable power source of this size opens new doors for disaster relief efforts and planning. Mobile Power Hawaiʻi describes the PowerCube as environmentally, logistically, and economically the most sustainable solution to temporary power needs. 

“We are deeply invested in its feasibility and resilience. Our families call this place home, and our mission is to contribute to its sustainability and preparedness for whatever challenges may arise. That is why we created the PowerCube,” said Barth. “It is important to us that people know that generators are not the only option for portable power units. There is a green way, a way to do this right.”

The PowerCube’s mobile frame allows the system to be used whenever and wherever. The set-up is as simple as towing the trailer to a site in need of power, opening the solar array, and plugging in. Some of the services offered by MPH include job site power, disaster relief, and outdoor events, though the PowerCube is not restricted to those uses alone. 

Looking to the future of the PowerCube, MPH has discussed the possibility of adding smaller auxiliary trailers that only carry PV panels to increase the size of the system’s DC capacity. Additionally, there is the possibility of adding utility trailers with up to eight batteries to support customers with a larger power demand. Representatives say both of these additions would greatly expand the reach of the already versatile PowerCube.