US energy technology company Generac has been awarded a US$200 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to deploy residential solar PV and energy storage systems in Puerto Rico.
The five-year grant is part of the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), a US$1 billion fund launched in February 2023 by the Grid Deployment Office of the DOE. The PR-ERF was established to create a more resilient energy system in the US territory which experiences frequent outages and extreme weather.
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Generac will use the grant to install PV and energy storage systems in low-income areas which frequently experience power outages, under the PR-ERF’s Solar Access Program (Programa Acceso Solar). It will work with several companies to support the programme in Puerto Rico, including non-profits and local contractors, installers and software platforms.
These include the Puerto Rican community nonprofit PathStone and the US nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), which will coordinate local communities, and FR-BLDM, a local contractor which Generac said has “years of government program management experience”.
Along with other local partners, these companies will focus on developing a local workforce and supporting vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico.
“By working with local installers and businesses, we not only gain valuable on-the-ground support but also foster job creation and community development,” said Norm Taffe, president of energy technology at Generac. “This collaboration helps ensure that we can deliver high-quality, resilient power solutions while uplifting the local workforce and economy.”
Maria Robinson, director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, said: “The Programa Acceso Solar will have a transformative impact on vulnerable households by improving access to reliable and affordable energy. DOE is pleased to partner with Generac to install residential solar and battery storage systems across Puerto Rico, improving energy resilience for households with some of the greatest need.”
Whilst much of Puerto Rico is economically deprived and subject to regular extreme weather events which cause power outages, the territory’s residential solar sector has been a relative success. This began in direct response to natural disasters; specifically hurricanes Irma and Maria which hit Puerto Rico in 2017 and triggered permitting reform from the government, which spurred the sector. PV Tech Premium published a deep dive into this phenomenon last year.
Generac secured funding from the DOE in November 2023 as part of the first, US$400 million tranche of the PR-ERF. This would also support residential PV and battery systems.
