The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) announced that Planta Solar has been selected to install and maintain new Energy Resilience Hubs that incorporate solar energy and storage in five communities in Puerto Rico in 2025.
These Energy Resilience Hubs will be located in Castañer, Lares; La Perla, San Juan; Quebrada Arenas, Caguas; Rubias, Yauco; and San Diego, Coamo. Owned by the communities, the Hubs will allow some of Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable areas to have access to reliable electricity during, before, and after an extreme weather event or other disaster that affects the electrical grid.
The Hubs are being developed in partnership with IREC, a national nonprofit organization that supports the rapid adoption of clean energy. IREC will facilitate the development of these Centers in collaboration with the five communities and with the support of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.
Planta Solar is a Puerto Rico-based company that has been installing solar energy and storage systems in community centers, residences, public facilities and businesses across Puerto Rico since 2016. The community facilities will have the capacity to maintain electricity for essential services in the event of a power outage.
For IREC, these projects are part of a long-term commitment to facilitate the growth of sustainable energy in Puerto Rico. Last year, IREC and its partners installed the first five Energy Resilience Hubs in Calabazas Arriba, Yabucoa; La Calle Abajo y Sus Vecinos, Lajas; Cubuy, Canóvanas; Guayabota, Yabucoa; and Villa Esperanza, Toa Alta.
“Community Energy Resilience Hubs must be a part of the infrastructure for vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico,” said Carlos Velázquez, IREC Program Director in Puerto Rico. “For the IREC team, it has been a privilege to work on this energy resilience project with the Department of Energy, the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus, and local photovoltaic companies to positively impact the quality of life in 10 communities across Puerto Rico. We trust that this work is a roadmap for replication in hundreds of other communities in need.”
Planta Solar was selected by a committee that included IREC and UPR-M team members along with representatives from the five communities. The review committee highlighted that the Planta Solar’s experience, installation schedule and robust proposal for the operation and maintenance of the systems stood out among a highly competitive group of over 15 applicant companies.
The Energy Resilience Hubs are funded by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Energy. IREC hopes to collaborate with Planta Solar to complete the installations by September 2025.
News item from IREC
