How Ann Arbor is Powering Community Resilience with Sesame Solar

Overview

In September 2025, the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, took a major step toward climate resilience and community preparedness by deploying a Sesame Solar Mobile Nanogrid Unit. As part of the city’s ambitious A2ZERO carbon neutrality plan, the Nanogrid will serve as both a clean, mobile energy source and a living learning lab for residents.

Challenge

Ann Arbor is experiencing the growing impacts of climate change:

• Extreme heat waves straining the power grid and public health systems
• Stronger rainstorms damaging homes and infrastructure
• High-wind events knocking down power lines and causing outages
• Poor air quality from wildfire smoke drifting into the region
  
  

To meet these challenges, the city needed a flexible, renewable solution that could both support emergency preparedness and engage the community in hands-on sustainability education.

Solution: Sesame Solar Mobile Nanogrid

The Sesame Solar Unit is a fully self-sustaining, solar-powered trailer equipped with:

• Retractable solar arrays and battery storage
• Rapid deployment capability (ready in minutes)
• Portability for citywide use
• Zero-emission, quiet operation
  
  

The unit is designed to function as more than backup power. It will also serve as a mobile classroom and engagement tool for resilience hubs, schools, and community centers across Ann Arbor

Use Cases

1. Community Education & Engagement‍

• Guided tours, hands-on displays, and youth programs
• Block parties, art workshops, and movie nights powered by clean energy
• Accessible demonstrations of renewable technology in action
  

2.Resilience in Action

• ‍‍Strategic deployment during outages and extreme weather events
• Support for Ann Arbor’s Resilience Hubs, including after-school programs, food distribution, mental health support, and cooling/warming centers
  

3. Emergency Preparedness

• Piloted with the Ann Arbor Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management
• Provides a blueprint for how cities can use mobile nanogrids to keep critical services running during disruptions
  

Results & Impact

• Enhanced Community Preparedness: Residents experience first-hand how renewable systems work, making climate neutrality more tangible.
  
• Operational Flexibility: The mobile nature of the unit allows Ann Arbor to position resilience where it’s most needed.
  
• Culture of Sustainability: By powering events with clean energy, the city creates new, joyful ways for residents to gather while advancing climate action.
  
• Blueprint for Other Cities: Ann Arbor’s deployment shows how municipalities can combine education, preparedness, and resilience in a single investment.
  

Looking Ahead

Ann Arbor plans to expand the Nanogrid’s use, piloting real-world deployments during outages and integrating it more deeply into resilience hub operations. As the city continues its journey toward carbon neutrality by 2030, the Sesame Solar Mobile Nanogrid will play a central role in ensuring residents remain connected, supported and safe.