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SOLAR RESPONDERS INC
New York, NY · EIN 833822965 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE M20 · Public Safety & Disaster Relief · Small ($100K-$1M) · solarresponders.org
revenue
$180K
expenses
$178K
net assets
$466K
employees
1
program ratio
88%
mission · from form 990

THE ORGANIZATIONS MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE THE CAPACITY OF FIRST RESPONDERS TO SAVE LIVES WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY. THE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT COMES PRIMARILY FROM FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND PRIVATE DONORS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Solar Responders Inc. is a nonprofit that installs solar-plus-storage systems at first responder stations to ensure reliable power during disasters. Focused initially on Puerto Rico, the organization strengthens community resilience by enabling fire stations and emergency services to remain operational during grid outages caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, and other climate-related events. The systems support life-saving operations and transform stations into community safe havens.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Fire Station Solar Installations
Permanent solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems installed on fire stations across Puerto Rico to ensure continuous power during grid outages
Solar Response Unit (SRU)
Mobile solar-plus-storage unit designed to provide emergency power to first responders during disasters; commissioned in November 2022
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Solar Energy Access in Underserved Communities 3 activities
    • Deploy mobile solar response units
      Deploys portable solar-plus-storage units to provide emergency power during disasters; five units have been deployed, including one with 11.04 kW DC and 27 kWh battery storage.
    • Install and maintain solar-plus-storage systems at first responder stations
      Designs, installs, and maintains solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems at fire stations and emergency response facilities, primarily in Puerto Rico, to ensure reliable power during natural disasters and grid outages. Systems include new equipment under warranty and local repair support, with documented installations at 19 fire stations and over 228 kW of solar capacity deployed.
    • Provide backup power for emergency operations and medical needs
      Delivers critical backup power during grid outages, enabling uninterrupted emergency response operations and life-saving medical treatments; systems have provided over 20,000 hours of backup power across multiple sites, including 404 hours at Cataño and 312 hours at Culebra fire stations during hundreds of outage events.
  • Fire Safety Education & Prevention 1 activity
    • Train first responders on solar energy system operations
      Provides training to first responders on the use, maintenance, and monitoring of solar energy systems to ensure long-term operational resilience.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Respond to natural disasters with emergency services and solar deployment
      Responded to Hurricane Maria in 2017, which caused a prolonged blackout affecting 3.5 million people, by providing solar energy solutions to first responder stations that had operated without reliable electricity for over six months. Also conducted emergency response activities in Guánica after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, including water distribution, road clearing, urban search and rescue, and emergency medical services.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$180K
Contributions & grants$180K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$178K
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$93K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$467K
Cash$110K
Investments$0
Liabilities$998
Net assets$466K
Liquid reserves7.4 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +301.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
HUNTER JOHANSSON Founder/CEO 40 $68K
board members · 3
  • JEFFREY JIMENEZ — BOARD CHAIR
  • MELINDA WANG — BOARD MEMBER
  • RAJ THAKKAR — BOARD TREASURER
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Canadian Solar Partner — Supplied CS3U-380MS solar modules for the installation at the Yauco first responder station.
  • Direct Relief Partner — Partnered to ensure Cataño’s first responders have reliable power for the storm season.
  • Enphase Partner — Provided IQ7+ inverters for the solar energy system at the Yauco first responder station.
  • Hispanic Federation Partner — Collaborated on the design and installation of a solar power system in Loíza, Puerto Rico.
  • Humacao District Fire Station Partner — Partnered to install a solar energy system ensuring continuous power for emergency response operations.
  • Luis Butter, Rincón Station Partner — Local fire station partner providing testimonials and operational feedback on solar installations.
  • Maribel Santiago Partner — Firefighter from Caguas, Puerto Rico, who endorses the use of solar power for first responder communication resilience.
  • Ponce Central District Fire Station Partner — Host site for Solar Responders' largest solar energy installation, serving as a hub for regional emergency coordination.
  • Tesla Partner — Supplied Powerwall 2.0 batteries for solar energy storage system at the Yauco first responder station.
  • Tesla Partner — Supplies Tesla Powerwall+ inverters and PowerWall 2.0 batteries for solar response units.
  • fire stations Partner — Installed solar power systems at fire stations to support emergency response operations.
  • first responders Partner — Collaborates with first responders to identify high-risk communities and install solar systems on their stations.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community Safe Haven Model
    methodology: community safe haven model
    By powering first responder stations with solar-plus-storage, we transform them into community safe havens during disasters, because reliable electricity enables the operation of medical devices, refrigeration, and communication systems that support broader community survival and resilience.
  • Local Capacity-Building Through Contracting
    methodology: local-partner-contracting
    By contracting with local engineers, fabricators, and contractors, we strengthen local technical capacity and ensure long-term project efficacy, because involving local labor builds community ownership, reduces maintenance delays, and sustains economic benefits post-installation.
  • Mutual Aid Network for Solar Deployment
    methodology: mutual_aid_model
    By integrating government, non-profits, private sector, and community partners through a mutual aid model, we accelerate the deployment of self-sustaining solar resilience infrastructure, because collaborative networks expand resource access, local trust, and operational scalability in underserved and disaster-prone areas.
  • Self-Sustaining Financial Model via Energy Savings
    methodology: self-sustaining-financial-model
    By reinvesting energy cost savings and net-metering revenues, we fund long-term system maintenance and operations, because financially self-renewing models reduce dependency on grants and ensure durability of solar resilience infrastructure.
  • Solar-Plus-Storage for Emergency Continuity
    methodology: resilient-energy-infrastructure
    By deploying solar microgrids with battery storage at emergency response facilities, we ensure uninterrupted power during grid outages and disasters, because resilient, off-grid energy infrastructure enables first responders to maintain operations when traditional fuel and grid supplies fail.