New Orleans' Hagar's House Gets Resilient Power Thanks to Non-profit and For-profit Collaboration 

New Orleans, Louisianna (Dec. 5, 2025) - Regional energy firm Solar Alternatives and battery manufacturer EG4 joined forces with the renewable energy focused nonprofits, Empowered by Light and Footprint Project, to install solar and energy storage on New Orleans’ Hagar’s House, a home supporting at-risk women, children and marginalized members from the surrounding area, located at 3401 Canal Street. Hagar’s House is a program of First Grace Community Alliance (FGCA) working for and with people in need–especially women and their children, by meeting food, housing and other emergency needs, while simultaneously challenging systemic poverty in the greater New Orleans area. 

 

The solar energy system, made possible through a donation of mounting materials by Enstall Empowers, will help Hagar’s House remain operational during grid outages and to continue providing safe transitional housing and support services to at-risk people during natural disasters and other emergencies. 

 

Hagar’s House received a 10.27 kilowatt photovoltaic system with 24.6 kilowatt-hours of energy storage (batteries). The system is designed to significantly offset the home’s electricity usage saving the organization approximately $1500 per year in utility costs, as well as power critical services indefinitely during a prolonged grid outage. Since 2007, Hagar’s House has helped hundreds of women, children, and trans/gender-nonconforming folks with an open and empowering residential community, resource coordination, holistic programming, and the support necessary to transition into permanent, sustainable housing.

 

“This solar grid system is an invaluable asset for Hagar's House and fortifies our commitments to resident safety, financial sustainability, and environmental stewardship,” said Madeleine Replogle, Program Director at Hagar's House. “This system will significantly offset our utility costs so we can redirect funds from electricity bills to direct services for our residents,” added Madeleine.

  

Said Moira Hanes, Empowered by Light’s Executive Director, “Our focus is on the most underserved, and the reliable, renewable energy this system provides means Hagar’s House can continue to shelter and provide critical services to vulnerable families and individuals while transitioning emergency response away from costly and unreliable diesel.”

 

“EG4's mission is to democratize home backup and energy storage solutions, making them accessible to all, and his project represents that effort perfectly,” said John Tostanoski, Director of Sales for EG4. “Our contribution is small compared to the others that had the foresight to get this project started and installed, but we are incredibly grateful to have been included."

 

“We're proud to be able to help another local organization that is doing great things for folks in need. It's part of the culture at Solar Alternatives to leave the world better than we found it, and our whole team finds purpose in these projects,” said Jeff Cantin, President and Founder of Solar Alternatives.

 

Said Will Heegaard, Founding Director of the Footprint Project, “"We're honored to play a supporting role in this project, leveraging our network of in-kind solar industry sponsors to lower the microgrid equipment costs for an incredible social safety net provider like Hagar's House.”

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About Empowered by Light

Empowered by Light is a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit using renewable energy technologies to empower vulnerable, remote and underserved communities. EBL has completed more than 120 solar and energy storage projects in 10 countries--helping school-age children study after dark, improving safety, boosting economic development, supporting conservation and helping build more resilient communities. Learn more here.

 

About EG4 Electronics

EG4 Electronics is a Texas-based battery and inverter manufacturer whose mission is to democratize home backup and energy storage solutions, making them accessible to all. EG4 is headquartered in Sulphur Springs, Texas and assembled in Commerce, Texas. https://eg4electronics.com/

 

About Solar Alternatives

Founded in 2008 and based in New Orleans, Solar Alternatives designs and builds solar energy and battery microgrid systems for businesses and homeowners across the Gulf South. Solar Alternatives is a licensed solar and general contractor in ten Southern states, and offers operations and maintenance for all existing solar and battery facilities. Solar Alternatives is transforming our community with reliable, clean, independent power through its turnkey engineering, consultation, and construction services. www.solalt.com 

 

About Footprint Project

Footprint Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit disaster service organization that focused on providing cleaner energy infrastructure to communities in crisis. The organization works across the disaster management cycle to deploy sustainable technologies where they are needed most. https://www.footprintproject.org/

 

Media contacts:

 

Empowered by Light

Moira Hanes

moira@empoweredbylight.org, 415-488-7031

 

Solar Alternatives Inc

Jeff Cantin

jdcantin@solalt.com, 504-229-0746