Off the Grid, Ahead of the Curve: Engineering Energy Independence Before It Was Cool

Challenge:
Long before “net zero” became a buzzword, Sysco Foods began exploring off-grid infrastructure powered by renewable energy and hydrogen fuel cells. The goal was ambitious: build a fully functional food service facility that operated 100% off the grid — integrating solar energy and PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) hydrogen fuel systems for their internal logistics operations.

What I Did:
I was embedded as a systems and logistics consultant during the construction phase, focused on integrating the early-stage PEM hydrogen energy system used for the facility’s forklift fleet into its solar-based power infrastructure.

What made this project deeply personal was how it echoed my own early work: years earlier, as a high schooler, I converted a 1985 Buick Electra into a functioning hydrogen-powered car for my class project because I wanted to see if I could. That experience taught me how to translate raw, volatile energy into stable, usable motion. Now, standing in a multi-million dollar facility doing the same at scale? That was a full-circle moment.

Results:

• Supported the buildout of one of the first fully off-grid, PEM-integrated food distribution facilities in the U.S.

• Ensured operational alignment between hydrogen-powered logistics and solar capacity

• Leveraged early hydrogen experience to inform safe, scalable system design

• Helped establish a forward-looking model for sustainable commercial infrastructure

Tags:
#HydrogenEnergy #PEMSystems #OffGridInfrastructure #SustainableLogistics #EnergyInnovation #FullCircleBuild #SyscoFoods #EarlyAdoption