Business Talk Magazine

With the increasing urbanization and globalization, it’s no epiphany there is a constant increase in the global carbon footprint. The way we produce, distribute, and consume energy is identical to how it was a century ago. And it has several negative effects on the environment and climate. But the tide is changing; people are focusing on renewable energy and responsible energy consumption, both on the field and in boardrooms. Microgrid technology is triggering a fundamental change since it can function without being connected to the main grid. It also allows for integrating renewable energy sources such as solar, delivering efficient, low-cost, clean energy while improving the operation and stability of the regional electric grid. 

AJ Perkins, a subject matter expert in microgrid energy solutions and integrations, is using this as an opportunity to shape a future powered by renewable energy. The following story focuses on his journey through the industrial space, finally finding his calling in microgrid integration and how he is taking it to new heights.

AN UNRIVALLED INDUSTRIAL GEM

Mr. Perkins is one of the rare people destined to be an innovator/entrepreneur from an early age. Born and raised in Hawaii, as the eldest of 3 boys and a high-performing student-athlete, his leadership skills came naturally. Since his sophomore, he ran a mobile disco being a DJ for parties around the island. Growing up, he built multiple businesses across different industries, from real estate and computers to private label wines and a chocolate factory. In 2014, he moved to California and got offered to co-run an LED Company; and he got the bug to pursue energy efficiency and sustainability. He began selling energy efficiency products in homes and became one of the top sellers in the country. He kept foraying into the C&I space, developing and combining HVAC and LED technology and was successful in attracting C&I clients for a utility rebate program. He met members of Lockheed Martin Energy at an industry conference, and they offered him a contract to secure C&I clients. With this contract, he and his partner landed more clients than Lockheed Martin’s 27 contractors combined.

In 2019, Jigar Shah introduced him to microgrids. He instructed him to win microgrid contracts, which his firm, Generate Capital, would fund. This was the first step towards unveiling grand prospects. From there, he grew as a subject matter expert, combining 3 decades of experience in growing businesses. He is a sought-after growth CEO, public speaker and has published white papers, articles, and op-eds for the sector. His most recent work, Nanogrids: A New Opportunity for the Solar Industry, was the #1 downloaded white paper on Microgrid Knowledge in 2020. He is a regular speaker and contributor to some of the biggest solar and energy conferences and conventions in North America and is being sought after internationally with his work on islands in the Pacific. His ability to understand and navigate the market has led to partnerships with many innovative technology companies looking to create and implement their US deployment strategies. Recently, his company Instant On has partnered with a leading OEM in the presale and distribution of their new fuel cell coming to the US in 2024.

A CLOSER LOOK AT INSTANT ON

Founded in 2020, Instant On is a microgrid technology integrator, developer and distributor, providing solutions based on customer requirements, industry knowledge, and evolving scenarios. It provides customized solutions for commercial, residential and industrial, along with utility-scale needs. It’s manufacturer and technology agnostic. Instant On serves all verticals of the microgrid market using multiple forms of energy generation, such as solar, CHP, fuel cells, wind and turbines. Within a year of its inception, the company has won a series of prestigious accolades, which set the stage for many globally recognized projects. Instant On has been recognized as the ‘Top 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch,’ ‘Most Outstanding Microgrid Integrator,’ and ‘Top Energy Storage Solution Provider 2020.’ The company is partnered with Schneider Electric Green Struxure (GSX) for their Energy as a Service (EaaS) offering in the C&I segment. Recently, it secured a city-wide microgrid project for the 3rd largest city in the state of California, California City and is working with a co-op in NE Ohio for Infrastructure as a Service supplying energy, telecom and water resiliency.

A LEADER GROWING THROUGH CHALLENGES

At the outset of Instant On, Mr. Perkins met the most unprecedented challenges of his life that hindered its growth. On the one hand, wildfires, hurricanes, and heat waves swept across North America – the harsh weather forced residents to deal with power outages. On the other hand, COVID-19 plagued the continent. However, Instant On stayed afloat by focusing on challenges while eliminating its expenses. The Company dug into R&D to innovate new ways to improve the existing microgrid model. It identified the deficiencies in traditional solar, including storage, and ‘keep the power on,’ bringing them to integrate fuel cells. Instant On’s mission is to protect families, communities, and businesses. To do so, it broadened its ability to partner with more companies to deliver a more comprehensive Infrastructure as a Service. 

It began integrating microgrids with multiple energy sources, storage and controllability options. “We also began integrating telecom and AWGs producing water from the air. This means our microgrid provides not only energy resiliency and reliable fibre connection, but clean drinking water too,” states Mr. Perkins. Starting in the energy efficiency industry without a strong engineering background has, of course, made it a roller coaster ride. The founder started from the ground up, knocking on doors, talking to experts in the field, hoping to learn the best way to bring solutions to solve big problems. The hard work bore fruits. In the following month of inception, it won the project to build nanogrids for 1 million homes for US Veterans across the country. The next month, March, it partnered with a Hawaii solar veteran to distribute batteries and controls to over 5,000 homes in the islands.

IMBIBED WITH NATIVE ETHOS

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono is Hawaii’s state motto meaning: “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”. The Hawaiian language doesn’t have a word for “sustainability”. Why? It’s because to them, it is life. This is where culture and destiny meet. Mr. Perkins has worked to ingrain this ethos into Instant On’s mission as they work with others. The team follows ‘Cooper-tition’ (combination of cooperation and competition) over competition, on sharing knowledge, resources and uphold relationships that explain their enthusiasm. Their teamwork achieves the best results with available resources. Ultimately, it enables inclusion and abundance. They also focus on learning, monitoring creativity, and ensuring that negative factors or failures don’t affect intrinsic creativity and innovation. “We learn to analyze everything we do and continuously improve it,” says the founder.

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

“Leadership isn’t a position or title, it’s an action and example. I am grateful to all those who went before me as those are the giants whose shoulders I stand on. The path that I take is the one not taken and it is our responsibility to leave a trail.” – AJ Perkins, Founder and President, Instant On.

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