Harold Tan Speaks on the Importance of Renewable Energy at the Global Level

Harold Tan was born in London, raised in Australia, and schooled in the United States. Somewhere along the way, he became interested and started to explore the concepts of solar power and renewable energy. The company GigaWatt Inc. was born as a result of his teaming up with a few partners who shared his zeal.  

Since then, GigaWatt has provided a myriad of solar solutions to meet home, business, and government needs. One such effort involved working with the city of Los Angeles on an effort called SunPole™, which entailed affixing solar panels to street poles. The SunPole™ acts as a simple, dependable solar power plant which allows for on-site generation and smart grid communications technology, generating its power from the sun as its fuel supply. More recently, GigaWatt has been working on a much smaller solution known as the SunJack®. The SunJack® is a 14-watt foldable, portable solar panel. Featuring four wide and parallel panels, it can produce power even if shady conditions are a factor. The panels connect to two USB ports which can provide up to 2-amps of output – enough to power an iPad. Sunjack® also includes an internal battery pack. The battery pack can power up to four iPhones after five hours of sun exposure. This innovative technology is undeniably convenient for first-world lifestyles, but Tan and his GigaWatt partners also think on a global scale as he alluded to during his address at the Member Ceremony. 

Energy is taken for granted by the first-world. Tan candidly noted that we “don’t even think about lights…they’re just a part of everyday life.” He continued this logic in expressing that portable, clean, renewable energy as a commonplace resource for rural and third-world walks of life substantially improves quality of life. Such examples of this profound impact include: longer life spans, improved literacy and education, and boosted economic stability. In essence, providing renewable energy can literally empower and enrich lives in ways that might otherwise be impossible. Building centralized power plants and the entire infrastructure they require is a very cost-prohibitive project for a third-world community. However, it can be replaced by simply providing several SunJacks® to a village, community, or parish. Providing this type of energy solution out to rural and third-world communities is not outside the art of the possible. Tan closed with a simple yet powerful vision and request of the HonorSociety.org Member Ceremony audience:

“I would love to see a future where we can power all of our lives by clean, renewable, sustainable energy, which comes free to us from the sun every day. So give this some thought and let it brew a little. You’re all amazing, smart people so I’m sure you’re going to do great things for the world no matter what you decide to do.”

Whether you were able to attend the May, 15, 2014 Member Ceremony or not, go forth and “brew a little” about decisions you make that involve renewable energy choices and how you can contribute to moving our global community towards a future where all may enjoy energy independence. 

About Harold Tan and GigaWatt Inc.

Harold Tan, a solar power entrepreneur, was born in London, grew up in Australia, and earned his collegiate education in the United States. While he has grown his expertise in information systems and eCommerce, he is also passionate about the concept of renewable energy. He believes that renewable energy is critical to society’s future. As Chief Marketing Officer of GigaWatt Inc., he is able to advocate for the California corporation’s solar empowerment products and solutions. Since 2006, GigaWatt Inc has earned business from Federal clients including the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as home and business owners that want to harness the power of the sun.

About HonorSociety.org

HonorSociety.org is an organization dedicated to recognizing and rewarding student success, as well as empowering students to achieve and reach their highest potential. Membership benefits include exclusive privileges, networking opportunities, discounts and national recognition. The organization also annually distributes thousands of dollars in scholarships.