Hello everyone,
In recent news, the solar industry is making strides in improving community-level energy resilience, particularly for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has demonstrated a commitment to this cause, with a recent announcement of a $325 million funding opportunity. The goal? To bring solar panels for your home, community centers, and essential health facilities, ultimately transforming the solar landscape of Puerto Rico.
The investment is part of a new initiative known as the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes. This project, funded by the second tranche of DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), aims to provide necessary funding for solar and battery storage installations. These installations won’t just be for any buildings – they’re intended for critical community healthcare facilities, public housing, and privately-owned subsidized multi-family properties.
What gaps will this new initiative fill? Maria Robinson, Director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, explains that “every municipality in Puerto Rico has a facility that could be eligible for an installation through the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes.” This initiative is set to be a significant tool in boosting community-level resilience, ensuring emergency rooms stay powered, and that residents in multifamily houses have the ability to refrigerate medicine and food.
How is the funding distributed? The plan is to allocate between $70 million and $140 million for solar and battery installations for essential healthcare centers like dialysis centers, federally-qualified healthcare facilities, and diagnostic treatment centers. Also, between $93 million and $185 million is projected to go towards solar and battery installations for multi-family housing properties. These include community centers and common areas within public or privately owned multi-family housing properties that are dependent on electricity.
This major move comes after devastating hurricanes and decades of underinvestment in Puerto Rico’s electric grid. As a response, the U.S. government introduced a $1 billion funding package, the PR-ERF, to support residential solar and storage projects on the island.
With the tremendous support for solar, Puerto Rico is setting a high bar for renewable energy usage. The local Act 17 sets ambitious targets for the territory’s renewable generation: 40% by 2025, 60% by 2040, and a whopping 100% by 2050. As we witness the unfolding of these significant moves in the solar world, it’s an exciting time to join in and explore having your own solar array for home use.
To those considering partnering with solar companies, this is a turning point. The push towards solar energy is accelerating, and there’s no better time to take advantage of this momentum. Whether it involves installing solar panels for your home or exploring broader collaborative opportunities within this field, it’s evident that solar is more than buzzword – it’s the energy of the future.
So, if you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to engage with a solar company, take this as your sign. The world is moving towards a more sustainable and resilient future, and it’s starting with solar.
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/08/29/u-s-doe-allocates-funding-for-community-solar-battery-storage-in-puerto-rico/
