Unite to Light to Deploy Innovative Solar PowerPoles in Eight Santa Barbara Community Resilience Projects

Santa Barbara, CA — August 26, 2025 —

From powering tsunami warning systems tosupporting 24/7 food pantries, Unite To Light is pleased to announce eight new PowerPoleinstallations which are set to transform how Santa Barbara County communities access reliable,renewable energy. Through a unique partnership with the James S. Bower Foundation and local battery tech startup Dragon Q Energy, the PowerPole is a compact, solar-integrated, off-grid solution providing electricity, battery storage, and internet connectivity, even in the harshest conditions.

The County of Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Management will install two tsunami

warning systems powered by the PowerPole at Goleta Beach and Jalama Beach, ensuring

critical communication during emergencies without relying on diesel generators.

Blue Sky Center in Cuyama will use a PowerPole to provide internet and power to their

campsite, while also running a flight monitor for their local airstrip.

Girls Inc. Carpinteria will power their 24/7 food pantry and Resiliency Center with a

PowerPole, ensuring access to resources during both everyday needs and emergencies.

Sweet Wheel Farms in Summerland will use their PowerPole to aid in water ionization for

crops, as well as powering electric tools and bicycles for sustainable farming practices.

A Safe Parking site will offer internet and charging capabilities to people living in their cars,

providing both safety and connection.

UC Santa Barbara will host two PowerPoles at their Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve and

Sedgwick Reserve, expanding research and educational opportunities in the field while

increasing resilience to power outages.

“This project is about building local resilience with global impact,” said Megan Birney Rudert,

President & CEO of Unite to Light. “Many of these sites currently have little or no access to

power. By providing clean, reliable energy, we’re enabling everything from emergency alerts to

education and community services — and creating models that can be replicated around the

world.”

“PowerPole is designed to work in the most challenging conditions,” said Dan Casey, CEO of

Dragon Q Energy. “Seeing it deployed for everything from emergency alerts to sustainable

agriculture shows how flexible and powerful this technology can be in protecting communities.”

“Access to reliable power means our Resiliency Center and food pantry can serve the

community at any time — day or night, even during an outage,” said Jamie Collins, Executive

Director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria. “The PowerPole ensures that families who rely on us for

food and resources will never face a dark, disconnected space when they need help most.”

“The UCSB Natural Reserves support thousands of students and researchers each year,” said

Conner Philson, Executive Director of the UCSB Natural Reserve System. “With the addition of

a PowerPole, researchers can power equipment, students can charge devices in the field, and

Sedgwick Reserve will gain much-needed resiliency against frequent outages and high fire

danger. These systems strengthen our ability to support science and education even in

challenging conditions.”

“Reliable power is a game-changer for our community in Cuyama,” said Tara Saylor, Resiliency

Projects Manager at Blue Sky Center. “The PowerPole will not only provide internet and energy

for our campsite and flight monitor, but it also enhances safety and connectivity for a rural area

that often feels overlooked. This project is about making Cuyama more resilient and more

connected.”

The next steps include finalizing battery certification, scaling up manufacturing, and completing

necessary permitting. The partners plan to have all eight PowerPoles installed and operational

before the end of the year. This community demonstration project represents a significant

milestone in validating Dragon Q Energy’s battery technology as the company prepares for its

next capital raise in early September.

For more information about this initiative or to schedule interviews, please contact:

Name: Megan Birney Rudert

Email: mbirney@unite-to-light.org

Phone: 805-617-0619

About Unite to Light

Unite to Light envisions a world where every person has access to clean, affordable light and

energy. As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 they manufacture and distribute efficient, durable, low cost

solar lamps and solar chargers to people living without electricity. Since 2011 they have

delivered over 260,000 solar lights and chargers to people in 80 countries.

For more information on their work visit UnitetoLight.org

About Dragon Q Energy

Dragon Q Energy is dedicated to delivering innovative and sustainable power solutions to the

communities that need them most. Their mission is to empower people and transform lives in

extreme climates with their robust and safe off-grid power systems.

For more information on their work visit www.dragonqenergy.com

About the James S. Bower Foundation

The James S. Bower Foundation is a philanthropic organization committed to supporting

innovative projects that create lasting social impact. Their funding priorities include health

equity, education, and environmental sustainability.