The Beehive Microgrid Model: Mobile Solar+Storage in New Orleans

As the intensity and frequency of severe weather events continues to grow, so too do power outages. Power outages have increased nationwide, from an annual average of over 8 hours in 2022 to almost 13 hours in 2025. Power outages are problematic year-round, but when an outage corresponds with days of extreme heat or cold, the health implications are especially dangerous. After Hurricane Ida made landfall in New Orleans on August 29, 2021, 26 Louisiana residents’ deaths were attributed to the 10-day power outage that followed. Thirteen of these people died from heat exhaustion, five people died due to being evacuated from their nursing home, and six people died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by diesel-powered backup generators.

The pattern of this tragedy is not uncommon. Prolonged power outages can result in a public health crisis, especially during extreme temperatures, with medically vulnerable or mobility-challenged people particularly at risk. For people whose safety depends on access to power outlets for charging medical devices, refrigeration for specialized food and medications, and elevators to safely enter and exit their homes, even a brief power outage can be life-threatening.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, New Orleans-based nonprofit Footprint Project developed an innovative new model to help communities access reliable power during the next big disaster: the Beehive Microgrid Model.

What is a Beehive Microgrid?

A Beehive Microgrid consists of a “Hive”—a grid-connected microgrid powered by solar and energy storage (solar+storage)—and “Bees”—a group of mobile solar+storage trailers. Bees are charged and stationed at the Hive. In preparation for severe weather or during a power outage, the Bees can be deployed throughout a region to support emergency response and recovery efforts, providing reliable backup power to support first responder field operations and even connect to charge community resilience hubs. Bees can also act as “battery libraries,” allowing residents to borrow a portable battery to charge small devices at home.

Once in-the-field, the trailer’s solar system can replenish the battery, providing indefinite power to the Bee as long as solar is available. Unlike traditional backup power sources, like gas or diesel generators, mobile solar+storage units are emission-free and immune to fuel shortages, a common occurrence after natural disasters. They’re also quiet when operating and easy to use.

Bees can be designed to meet a variety of community needs, including:

• Supplying backup power to support small loads such as charging phones and home health devices.
• Providing access to Wi-Fi, communication channels, and refrigeration.
• Powering an atmospheric water generator, so communities that are experiencing disruptions in their normal water service can access potable water.
• Supporting small, health clinics with walk-in coolers to keep medicine and vaccines from spoiling during outages.

During “grey sky” conditions, such as when there are regional power outages following a natural disaster, the stationary Hive unit can function as a resilience hub, providing services such as Wi-Fi, electrical outlets for charging phones and other devices, refrigeration, and serve as a hub for volunteers or medical providers.

The benefits of Beehive Microgrids extend beyond emergencies and power outages – they can also provide year-round benefits. During “blue sky” conditions, when there are no disasters or power outages to respond to, the solar+storage systems can generate economic benefits, such as utility bills savings, for the Hive, and the Bees can be deployed to power outdoor community events, like concerts and picnics.

The Gentilly Beehive Microgrid in New Orleans

In 2023, Footprint Project partnered with local nonprofit Groundwork New Orleans to install the first-ever Beehive Microgrid project in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The NET Charter High School in the Gentilly neighborhood was selected as a convenient central location for the Hive microgrid. The school is located on the University of New Orleans’ (UNO) campus and operated by Educators for Quality Alternatives (EQA). Gentilly is a large, historical residential neighborhood in New Orleans, and its central location within the city means that mobile trailers can be easily dispatched to other neighborhoods and either charge in-the-field or return to the Hive to recharge.

Instead of installing a permanent, roof-mounted and grid-connected solar array, Footprint Project and Groundwork New Orleans adapted the Beehive Model to center around one large “Queen Bee” unit: a 30-foot solar+storage-powered trailer that will remain on-site at the school but will not be grid connected. The Queen Bee trailer is accompanied by one standard-size mobile Bee trailer.

The Gentilly Beehive Microgrid development process served as a workforce development opportunity, allowing Groundwork New Orleans staff and students to learn about solar+storage installation from Solar Alternatives, the Beehive’s installer. After the systems were installed, Groundwork New Orleans staff were trained to be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the system, such as routine electrical and mechanical maintenance, checking tires, testing batteries, and cleaning solar panels.

The Gentilly Beehive Microgrid called into action in December 2022 when a tornado hit New Orleans. The mobile solar+storage Bee was quickly deployed to a church in Morrero, powering charging stations for residents to charge cellphones and other small electrical devices. The Bee also powered wireless internet to enable communication services until grid power was restored.

Plans for Expansion

Groundwork New Orleans and Footprint Project plan to add two more mobile units to the Gentilly Beehive Microgrid. One of the planned units will be equipped with refrigeration for cooling and storing food and medication, and the other will be equipped with atmospheric water generation technology that will produce potable water during outages when wells or other water infrastructure may be unavailable.

The Beehive Microgrid Model is also expanding to North Carolina. In 2025, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office announced they will be investing $5 million in permanent and mobile microgrids that will provide accessible power in the wake of future weather disasters. The project will support up to 24 stationary microgrids across six North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It will also fund the implementation of two Beehive Microgrids: one each in the western and eastern parts of the state. The DEQ described the projects as an “innovative disaster recovery model that will strengthen emergency power access for critical community services and serve thousands of North Carolinians.”

The Gentilly Beehive Microgrid was supported by early-stage technical assistance from Clean Energy Group. More information about the Beehive Microgrid Model is available in a July 2026 case study, The Beehive Microgrid Model: Mobile Solar+Storage in New Orleans. Speakers from Footprint Project and Groundwork New Orleans will discuss the Beehive Microgrid Model in an August 2026 webinar – read more and register here.