Mohammed Nije is the founder of Janta Power, a Dallas-based solar energy company that just notched a global win for sustainability in the Airports for Innovation competition.

“Airports for Innovation (A4I), a consortium of 10 global airports, was created in 2022 with the recognition that many airports share goals related to improved customer experience, sustainability, and operational efficiency,” said Jodie Brinkerhoff, vice president of innovation at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Brinkerhoff says DFW was the only U.S. airport to participate, asked by A4I to be the U.S. representative. “We jumped at the chance to team up on this opportunity for startups to validate their solutions, while collaborating to set new industry benchmarks,” she added.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at dawn.  [Photo: DFW Airport]

From West Africa to North Texas

While Janta is making a name for itself in North Texas, its origin story begins in another part of the world—West Africa.

Nije grew up in Gambia, where he experienced energy poverty—when a household lacks power for essentials like heating, cooling, lighting, and operating appliances. Eventually he immigrated to the United States, and was accepted at SMU, where he studied electrical engineering. He also partnered with the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity.

“We would find schools and hospitals that have never had electricity before and we would install solar plus batteries for them in Gambia,” Nije said. “That was a great experience, you know, to make such a difference to the lives of people. Students who had never used computers before, now they could.”

Reimagining Solar, in 3D

While working with the Hunt Institute, Nije was struck by the limitations of traditional solar panels.

“To me, one of the biggest issues was the amount of space it took, and the fact that it was not producing much energy,” he said.

But he knew there was potential, and he realized sometimes answers to today’s problems can be found in yesterday’s insights.

“Humanity went from living in single-story to multi-floor buildings so that we could house as many people as possible while using as little land as possible,” Nije said.

Mohammed Nije

That line of thinking led to a three-dimensional solar design. Janta’s modular towers come in different sizes—the biggest, which generates 10 kilowatts of power, is 27 feet high by 12 feet wide. The smallest is about seven feet by four feet.

Nije notes that they take up less space on land compared to flat solar panels but can produce more energy. And crucial for industries like aviation, they don’t reflect the sunlight upward, which could be problematic for pilots.

Becoming a company

In 2020, Nije brought on interns and attracted the attention of a Shell venture known as Studio X, which has since rebranded to Onward.

“They were our first major investors,” he said

Janta was officially incorporated in May 2021. The company moved into its own facility in the Design District the following year, where the company ‘eats its own cooking,’ so to speak. The site runs on the same solar tech it develops, and Janta is connected to the ERCOT power grid, supplying electricity to the region.

The company is or will be piloting the technology at several airports in addition to DFW International, including Munich International and the Malaga Airport in southern Spain.

Residential and community potential

It’s not just organizations that stand to benefit from Janta’s innovation. Nije says individuals could save money and have more reliable power, too, either by having one of Janta’s power towers in the community or on the roof of their building.

“We could have an agreement with your apartment complex and say, ‘Hey, one of your tenants wants to use our system,’” said Nije. “We’ll put it there on the roof or around the premises of your building. And let’s say a current solar panel would have only been able to offset five or 10% of your bill. With Janta you’re looking at closer to 50 or 60%.”

He says homeowners can have the towers installed in their backyards rather than on the roof, and get benefits from both cost savings and continuity, should the state’s electric grid go down.

DFW notes other U.S. innovation winners

While Dallas headquartered Janta notched a win for sustainability in the Airports for Innovation competition, DFW also recognized:

• Seamless Travel Experience: GoodMaps
• Smart Luggage Revolution: Pattern Labs
• AI-Powered Airports: io & Ultralytics

Brinkerhoff applauds all companies working to innovate in air travel and says being able to recognize a DFW company for its efforts in sustainability is a win-win.

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