Shining Light Where It’s Needed Most: Why We Give, and Why It Matters
When we started Harder Power, we weren’t just trying to build a reliable electrical company. We were trying to build something that made sense—something that could wire up a house and still feel like it meant something beyond the invoice.
In January 2020, before the company had even taken its first steps, Josiah and Annie took part in a solar installation project in a remote village in Northern Thailand. The goal? Bring power to 400+ people who had been living without it. No flick of a switch. No refrigerator hum. No light after sundown.
What they found wasn’t just the satisfaction of a job well done—it was something else. Something that stuck. The kind of clarity that doesn’t need a whiteboard or a branding campaign to explain itself. People need power. Not metaphorical power. Literal power. Lights. Charging. Cold storage. The basics.
So, when Harder Power officially launched later that year, we decided one thing wouldn’t be negotiable: 3% of every single job would go toward bringing electricity to places still living in the dark. Not as a marketing tactic. Not to pat ourselves on the back. Just because we’ve seen what it means.
And people started noticing.
The Feature: GlobalElectricity and the Bigger Conversation
Earlier this month, GlobalElectricity ran a piece highlighting the work of SonLight Power, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit doing exactly what we were looking for: delivering clean, renewable solar energy to underserved communities around the globe.
Since 2002, they’ve installed systems in 19 countries—places where grid expansion isn’t just slow, it’s unrealistic. Instead of waiting for infrastructure to catch up, they bring solar right to the village, the school, the clinic. The data is compelling: improved student performance, reduced illness from water contamination, even vaccine preservation in places where “cold chain” usually means “hope for the best.”
We’re proud to be part of that story.
Harder Power was mentioned as a funding partner, donating a consistent percentage of our revenue to support their work. And while it’s always nice to get a nod, what mattered more was seeing the scope of the impact our clients are helping us create.
Every panel installed. Every battery system deployed. Every kid who can now read after sunset—that’s the ripple effect of a kitchen reno in Abbotsford or a panel upgrade in Chilliwack. The dots connect, even if they’re separated by an ocean.
Why SonLight Power?
After that trip to Thailand, we tossed around the idea of starting a nonprofit ourselves. But reality kicked in. Running a business is hard enough. Running a nonprofit at the same time? A recipe for burnout—or mediocrity on both fronts.
So we looked for someone already doing the work. Someone with the experience, the track record, and—just as important—the mindset. That’s how we found SonLight Power. They’ve been building solar infrastructure for over two decades, not just dropping panels and moving on, but training locals to maintain them. They’ve figured out how to bring in volunteers, work with local governments, and transport gear into hard-to-reach places with whatever’s available—mules, boats, whatever it takes.
This wasn’t just about checking boxes. It was about building something that lasts. And it felt like the right fit.
What This Means for Our Clients
This isn’t something we blast across every advertisement or stick in flashing lights on the homepage. But if you hire us for your electrical project, part of that invoice will help bring light to someone else.
It might keep food from spoiling in a rural clinic. It might power a pump so kids don’t have to walk miles for clean water. It might give a teacher enough light to prepare lessons that make a difference.
We don’t think of it as charity. We think of it as part of the job. Because the world’s a little too connected now to pretend we don’t see what’s happening outside our bubble.
We’re not done. The partnership with SonLight Power is still growing, and the goal is simple: keep giving, keep building, keep showing up in the places that need it. Whether that’s across town or across the ocean.
If you’re a client reading this, thank you. You’re part of something bigger than the service call. And if you’re just learning about Harder Power, know this—we’ll wire your home like it’s our own. And then we’ll take some of that and help wire up the world, too.
If that sounds like the kind of power you want to be part of, you know where to find us.
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Want to know more about SonLight Power? You can check out their projects and mission at SonLightPower.org. Or get in touch with us to hear more about how this all works behind the scenes.
