PHOENIX — An energy company based in Phoenix is using its solar-powered generators to help keep hospitals in Ukraine running.
Ukrainians call them “magic boxes,” sources of virtually limitless power able to charge your laptops and cell phones or even life-saving hospital equipment.
"One that I can think of just recently, several weeks ago that we received, was an emergency C-section being performed when the power went out. So the equipment was essentially run off our equipment,” said Lee Feliciano, the chief operating officer at New Use Energy.
The solar-powered generators, named Sun Kits for the larger units and Sun Cases for the more portable ones, are made by New Use Energy and came about first as a disaster relief tool.
Now, hundreds of these units are in Ukraine, helping the war effort and providing power to the people.
“Part of the reason why we’re relevant and growing there is that our equipment makes no noise, it doesn’t give off a heat signature and it doesn’t require gasoline,” said Paul Shmotolokha, the chief executive officer at New Use Energy.
The units are easy to use with one click of a button. All outlets are at the top of the cases, their powerful lithium-ion batteries can last for days. When they need recharging, there is a Sun Tarp, a mobile panel unit that can be used.
“It’s not like your traditional solar panel. There’s no frame, there’s no glass. So nothing to break. You can pick this up, you can drop it on the ground. You don’t have to worry about busting it up,” said Feliciano.
Ukrainian doctors and nurses are eager for peace of mind: when the power grid goes down, Sun Kits keep their equipment going.
There is more on the way too, NUE says there is a batch of units ready to go now.
For Shmotolokha, whose own parents fled Ukraine as child war refugees, it is personal.
“I mean it’s deep, it’s daily. And I know that we save lives,” he said.
