One Week After Helene: Where We Stand
Just one week ago, Hurricane Helene was tearing through Western North Carolina, and while the wreckage is still being assessed, many people remain in imminent danger. Here at Sugar Hollow Solar, we are incredibly grateful to report that all our staff members and their families are safe. However, as a company, we haven't come through unscathed. Our warehouse, located in the beautiful and historic Biltmore Village—one of the hardest-hit areas—was completely flooded. We lost all of our inventory, trailers, forklifts, tools, and office equipment. It’s a lot to come to terms with, but we’re starting to rebuild.
We know that many of you have been affected by the storm and have requests for us, and we ask for your patience as we navigate this challenging time.
In the midst of the challenges, we've also been deeply moved by the incredible support from our community. Our partners— including Amicus Solar Cooperative, Hometrust Bank, and our vendors are jumping in to help us get restocked so we can begin working in the community again as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’re prioritizing emergency service needs and remove-and-replace projects, and we’re beginning to reach out to those interested in new solar and battery backup systems. We ask for your understanding as we work through these needs. We're prioritizing emergencies, so it may take a little time before we get you on the schedule.
How You Can Help
Right now, the biggest thing we ask of our community is patience. We’re working hard to rebuild our inventory, respond to the urgent service needs created by the storm, and meet the growing demand for solar and battery backup systems. Although our warehouse location was destroyed, we are extremely lucky as we had already secured a new location prior and are actively moving the company and setting up operations at our new home base.
Sugar Hollow Solar was born on land that our family has cared for over four generations. The values of tending, nurturing, and resilience are at the heart of everything we do. Even in the face of such immense challenges, we remain committed to our vision of a thriving, sustainable future for generations to come. As our community continues to rebuild, here are two meaningful ways you can get involved in broader efforts to support those impacted by Hurricane Helene:
Call for Disaster Relief: Join Appalachian Voices in urging Congress to pass disaster funding for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. You’ll receive a script and resources to make the process easy and effective.
NCSEA's Call for Equipment and Volunteers: The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) has launched a form to gather critical resources like battery backup systems, transfer switches, and portable battery generators. Volunteers may also be needed to pre-assemble clean energy solutions, both in Western North Carolina and elsewhere in the state.
Thank you for believing in what we do and for standing by us through these challenging times. With resilience and hope, we look forward to brighter days ahead.
Sending a sunshine through the clouds,
Doug Ager, Founder, & The Team at Sugar Hollow Solar
