How it all started
We met in graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999. We started collaborating on projects in 2000 because of common interests in social responsibility and the environment.
Noon Solar grew out of our fine art practice, much of which explored ideas of alternative energy sources, including solar and wind power. Feeling powerless in our country’s decision-making process during the run-up to the current Iraq war, we sought to find a way to bring power back to the individual. Our solution was literal. By taking advantage of revolutionary and lightweight solar technology and integrating it into handbags, we created a portable and personal power, and Noon Solar was born.
By integrating solar power into items that we regularly use such as handbags, messenger bags, or totes, it is our hope that solar power can be integrated into our lives on an individual level. If more people use solar energy, the more likely the industry can grow and our nation, and world, can become less dependent on non-renewable resources.
— Jane Palmer and Marianne Fairbanks