Energy Freedom for All: How We’re Turning the Power Grid Inside Out
How a Mobile Microgrid Is Empowering Communities and Reinventing Resilience
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In a world where energy is life, the fragility of the U.S. power grid puts millions at risk. From Texas freezes to California wildfires, we’ve all seen how natural disasters and grid failures can leave families in the dark, sometimes with devastating consequences. In these moments, people don’t want to wait to be rescued—they want to respond. That’s why we started Ovanova.
Our mission is simple but sweeping: to add as much value as possible to as many lives as possible. We believe energy independence is the new frontier of freedom—and through our flagship innovation, the Ovanova PET (Portable Energy Trailer), we’re empowering individuals and communities to reclaim control over their power.
A Personal Mission
At Ovanova, everything starts with people. My co-founders and I didn’t come together just to start another clean tech company. We united around the shared belief that we could build something bold enough to shift the energy landscape—and nimble enough to serve the real-world needs of families, schools, churches, and small businesses.
We’ve spent years working on rooftop microgrids, delivering clean, resilient power across 27 states and partnering with over 60 utilities. We helped hundreds of organizations apply for over $150 million in federal energy grants. And along the way, we donated tens of thousands of dollars to community institutions just for participating in our education programs. But even with all that impact, we knew we weren’t doing enough. Because when disaster strikes, solar panels on a roof don’t move.
So we asked ourselves: What if they could?
What Is the PET?
The Ovanova PET is a mobile, self-contained power station that fits in a trailer. Imagine a quiet, clean, solar-powered generator on wheels—with a high-capacity battery, backup multi-fuel generator, EV-charging integration, satellite communications, and the ability to plug into a building or sell power back to the grid.
We designed the PET to serve in the most critical moments: when the grid is down, when disaster strikes, when people need power to charge a phone, run a ventilator, or keep the lights on in a shelter.
Each PET owner becomes a node in a decentralized, mobile microgrid network. Whether it’s powering a rural farm during a blackout or being deployed to a hurricane zone, the PET delivers more than just electricity—it delivers resilience, security, and peace of mind.
And when the sun is shining and there’s no crisis? The PET still works. It stores solar energy, cuts electric bills, and earns income by selling excess power. It's a workhorse, not a showpiece.
Solving a National Emergency
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The Department of Energy has declared a National Energy Emergency. Our aging, overloaded grid can’t keep up with rising demand, and climate-driven disasters are testing its limits more often and more severely.
Rural communities, communities of color, and low-income neighborhoods suffer the most. These are the places where grid failure isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a matter of life and death.
We’re not waiting on Washington. We’re giving people tools to solve the problem themselves—tools like the PET.
When disaster hits, our customers say, “I’ve got power—who needs it?” That’s the heart of our mission. Not just to keep the lights on, but to light the way for others.
What Makes Us Different
Ovanova isn’t just another startup trying to "disrupt" an industry. We’re in the business of creating new ones.
Most companies chase product-market fit and stop there. That’s the plateau. But we believe real innovation happens after you find product-market fit—when you explore the white space that others overlook.
That’s where the PET lives. No one else is building mobile microgrids that double as community income generators, virtual power plant contributors, and disaster response assets. We aren’t just checking ESG boxes—we’re building the infrastructure for a new kind of clean energy economy: distributed, decentralized, and democratized.
We also don’t believe in innovation that’s divorced from feeling. A mentor of mine once told me entrepreneurship is like music: “If it sounds good, you can hear it. If it’s marketed well, you can sell it. But when it’s real, you can feel it.” That stuck with me.
I don’t build what I can’t feel. And I feel this in my bones.
The Road Ahead: Scaling the PET
On May 2nd, we filed a provisional patent for the Ovanova PET. It’s now production-ready. We’re raising $5 million to scale manufacturing, finalize our app and software systems, and expand our distribution network across the country.
Our PET Locator App will let anyone find, request, and deploy a nearby PET—whether for a neighborhood block party, an emergency shelter, or an off-grid cabin. We’re building a platform, not just a product.
And here’s the part that makes it truly scalable: each PET pays for itself. Owners can rent them out when they’re not in use.
From the People, For the People
As we scale, we’re building PETs right here in the U.S., creating clean energy jobs for welders, electricians, and technicians—especially in underserved and rural areas. We don’t outsource. We re-source. This is power by the people, for the people.
And it’s working. One of our microgrid installations was featured in The Wall Street Journal. We’ve presented at the Skoll World Forum and led solar education sessions at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon.
But none of that matters as much as this: with every PET on the road, another family, church, or community stays powered—no matter what hits.
Why This Matters—And Why You Should Join Us
If you’re reading Superpowers for Good, you already know that change doesn’t come from waiting for permission. It comes from people who care enough to act, who see a broken system and build something better.
That’s what we’re doing at Ovanova.
And if you care about energy justice, disaster resilience, community empowerment, or just want to be part of building a better infrastructure for the future—we invite you to join us.
This isn’t just a crowdfunding campaign. It’s a call to action.
We don’t need to wait for the next blackout to realize the system isn’t working. We can build something better now—portable power that protects people, guards the grid, and creates new opportunity wherever it goes.
This is energy freedom. This is resilience. This is hope—on wheels.
Let’s build it together.
Lester Crafton’s Bio
Lester Crafton is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Ovanova, a mission-driven clean energy company tackling America’s national energy emergency with the Portable Energy Trailer (PET), a mobile microgrid platform that delivers power, resilience, and hope where it’s needed most. With nearly two decades of experience leading purpose-centered teams, Lester blends visionary entrepreneurship with grassroots grit. Before founding Ovanova, he built a career coaching and mentoring thousands of young leaders through direct sales, solar education, and values-driven leadership programs. His work with Ovanova has helped deliver clean energy solutions across 27 states, generate millions in grant applications for underserved communities, and innovate new infrastructure for energy freedom. Lester studied business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and believes that real solutions feel as good as they work. He lives in Somerville, Tennessee, and remains focused on turning sunlight into sovereignty—one trailer at a time.
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