drone view solar array
Dec. 22, 2022
Sphere Solar | Uncategorized

Shark Garden Goes Solar

With its 3D-printed hydrotowers, a solar-powered water pump, and an automated seed planting device named Farmbot, Shark Garden may be the most technologically advanced community garden in Burien. “If a weed grows where it’s not supposed to,” said Taryn Koerker, co-founder of Shark Garden, “Farmbot stabs an arm into the dirt and eliminates it.” Now Shark Garden is entirely powered by solar energy, thanks to a microgrid installed by Sphere Solar Energy. “The system that Sphere Solar put down exceeded our expectations,” said Adam Powers, Shark Garden board member, leader of its technology initiatives, and founder of KeyTech Labs.

Shark Garden Mural
Shark Garden Mural

All of this technology does more than help grow the 2,000-3,000 pounds of produce that Shark Garden donates to food banks annually. It also fuels the nonprofit’s educational mission.

Shark Garden provides classes to children and adults on green technology. In one session, children receive instruction on how to build the Farmbot, learning engineering and sustainable agriculture simultaneously. It may be an unusual combination for a STEM class but it’s perfectly aligned with Shark Garden’s unique vision. The program will soon include solar power topics, using Sphere Solar Energy’s microgrid as a model.

Adam Powers (left) and Edwin Wanji (right) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open Shark Garden’s solar microgrid
Adam Powers (left) and Edwin Wanji (right) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open Shark Garden’s solar microgrid

Sphere Solar Energy also played a direct role in education at Shark Garden. After the microgrid was installed, CEO and founder Edwin Wanji went to Burien to talk to the community about how the system harnesses the sun’s energy to power the garden’s technology. “The owner of the company came down himself and he not only installed quality equipment and gear, but also helped teach our community about how it works,” said Powers. For Wanji, though, the talk was nothing out of the ordinary. Sphere Solar Energy includes an educational component in all of its community projects.

Visitors arriving at the Solar Punk Festival
Visitors arriving at the Solar Punk Festival

The Burien Solar Punk Festival

Sphere Solar Energy’s newly installed microgrid proved itself by powering the Solar Punk Festival, organized by Adam Powers, at Shark Garden on August 27. Reducing carbon emissions wasn’t the only benefit, as Powers pointed out. The absence of gas generators meant that there was none of the distracting loud noise and air pollution typical of such events.

Briannah Risslen, right, Sphere Solar Energy’s Business Coordinator, talking to a visitor at the Burien Solar Punk Festival
Briannah Risslen, right, Sphere Solar Energy’s Business Coordinator, talking to a visitor at the Burien Solar Punk Festival

The Solar Punk Festival’s theme was aspirational, envisioning a self-sustaining future embracing community and powered by green technology. To illustrate that vision, Powers showed the movie “Black Panther,” with the fictional country of Wakanda representing a place where a community thrives through nature and technology. Music performances and a VR demonstration rounded out the entertainment.

Wanji with the “Diamond in the Rough” award
Wanji with the “Diamond in the Rough” award

But the Solar Punk Festival also had a practical purpose: to bring local green businesses together with the Burien community. At the Jobs Expo and Mini Job Fair, employers and community members had the opportunity to connect. Sphere Solar Energy had a booth, and the team relished the chance to talk about solar energy and the jobs available in the industry. The day culminated in a ceremony where Wanji received a “Diamond in the Rough” award for his impact in expanding access to clean energy in diverse communities.

Adam Powers, center left; Edwin Wanji, center right; and Key Tech Labs students
Adam Powers, center left; Edwin Wanji, center right; and Key Tech Labs students

Sphere Solar Energy also contributed to the educational component of the festival. Wanji spoke to a small group of students from Key Tech Labs, a nonprofit founded by Powers to equip minorities with STEM skills for succeeding in the modern workplace. Wanji didn’t just talk about solar energy jobs. Sharing his personal struggles, such as the time when he couldn’t afford to pay his electric bill, Wanji emphasized the importance of perseverance and hard work. It was a lesson that went beyond renewable energy.

From the Solar Punk Festival’s focus on jobs in renewable energy to STEM classes for children and youth, Shark Garden proves that green power can grow anywhere.