Nearly two years after Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico and being months without electricity, Puerto Rico has worked vigorously to move on from the disaster. As part of the rebuilding, Puerto Rico is striving to improve and strengthen their grid. Puerto Rico’s Senate has recently passed a bill to mandate that the islands electric system move towards 100% renewable energy by 2050. Before the bill is signed by Governor Rosselló, it is being sent to the House for reconciliation.

The Process

Throughout the creation of the bill, there was an open process that included several public hearings. Javier Rua-Jovet, Sunrun’s director of public policy in Puerto Rico, explains that there was a strong consensus to move forward with this bill following Hurricane Maria.

Once the bill is signed, changes will be implemented to the island’s utility grid. Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has already prepared by issuing a draft plan to change the island’s main grid into smaller “mini-grids”, which will be largely powered by solar and storage. There will be eight “mini-grids” scattered throughout the island, and to operate they will require solar energy and solar storage projects.

Why the Change?

Puerto Rico has been devastated by a number of devastating storms. Hurricanes Irma and María forced PREPA to reconsider how it should operate in preparation for future events. Following a storm, these “mini-grids” are designed to operate in grid-isolated mode. This will help to protect the health and safety of people through the next hurricane.

The Move Towards 100% Renewable Goes Nationwide

Although this is just the beginning for Puerto Rico, governors from several U.S. states have also expressed their plans to move towards 100% renewable energy in the future. New Mexico has passed a bill mandating 100% zero-carbon electricity, and the bill is waiting to be signed by the governor. Puerto Rico and New Mexico are just two out of five states including Hawaii, California and Washington D.C., that have mandated a move towards 100% zero-carbon electricity and/or renewable energy by 2050.

Sunnova, the largest non-utility electricity supplier in Puerto Rico, supports this move towards 100% renewable energy. “Sunnova is thrilled that Puerto Rico is joining Hawaii, California, Washington D.C. and New Mexico in their commitment to 100% renewable energy,” stated Meghan Nutting, the executive VP of policy and communications for Sunnova. “Given the abundance of sun on the island, we believe that solar will be able to play a significant role in meeting the 100% goal.”

This mandate in Puerto Rico is a strive towards a renewable energy future. The renewable energy experts at Intersect Energy, are committed to finding and implementing new solutions to reduce our environmental impact and move towards a renewable energy future. Don’t forget to stay up to date with all the latest news in the renewable energy industry by following us on LinkedIn.

Solar is on the rise in the U.S and is becoming more appealing to corporations and consumers every day. Energy corporations around the country are looking to find a more efficient and cost-effective way to produce renewable energy. As the cost of solar has dropped, the appeal of adding it to wind installation projects has grown. A western Minnesota wind-solar hybrid project is among the first of its kind in the country.

What is a Wind-Solar Hybrid Project?

By paring wind and solar projects on the same site, it can cut equipment costs while ramping up output. Hybrid projects give an opportunity to increase capacity because wind turbines operate at 50-55% capacity, while solar sits at 15% capacity. When combining the projects on the same site, the hybrid reaches 60 to 70% capacity. Combining wind and solar projects on the same site will reduce equipment costs and cost less than most transmission and generation providers.

Hybrid Project in Minnesota

Juhl Energy, GE Renewable Energy and Bank of America are partnering to begin an integrated solar-wind hybrid power generation project. This project will have a 2-megawatt turbine and 500-kilowatt solar installation and will use GE’s Wind Integrated Solar Energy technology platform. Lake Region CEO Tim Thompson said the project lowers costs to ratepayers and “gives us a local renewable energy source with the wind and solar production that will tie into the local distribution grid we already own.”

The Future of Wind-Solar Hybrid

Wind solar hybrid projects are predicted to increase 4% in the U.S., becoming a $1.5 billion global market. The founder of Juhl Energy wants to see larger hybrids of 5 MW of wind and 1 MW of solar. “Distributed and utility-scale hybrids will become more common,” Soholt said. “Wind and solar pair well together because solar produces during the day and wind is more of a nighttime source. And with storage you have a great project to offer utilities.”

How Intersect Can Help

Interested in investing in a solar power project, but not sure how to find opportunities? As a Distributed Energy System developer, Intersect Energy has the expertise and services you need to find solar power opportunities and capital. Contact us today so we can help you get started with your solar power investment and make sure you keep up with the latest news in the world of renewable energy by following us on LinkedIn!