Vitality research urges photo voltaic panels on rooftops in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Photo voltaic panels must be put in at airports, brownfields or industrial areas since there’s not sufficient obtainable land for large-scale set up of wind turbines, the preliminary outcomes of a U.S. authorities research geared toward serving to Puerto Rico shift to wash power mentioned Monday.

The 2-year research that started final 12 months adopted a U.S. authorities pledge to assist modernize Puerto Rico’s disintegrating grid by wanting on the quantity of wind and photo voltaic assets on the island, land availability and the consumption of energy.

Amid the specter of highly effective hurricanes, Puerto Rico has suffered from fixed energy outages blamed on a disintegrating energy grid.

The island’s present energy technology system is 97% primarily based on fossil fuels, main many to query how the U.S. territory will be capable to attain a 40% renewable power goal by 2025 and 60% by 2040 as promised by authorities officers.

The research additionally simulated hurricanes and located that smaller renewable assets unfold out are inclined to get better sooner than the present system of fewer and bigger energy vegetation. Hurricane Maria razed Puerto Rico’s energy grid in September 2017 when it struck the island as a Class 4 storm and Hurricane Fiona battered it when it hit in September final 12 months as a Class 1 storm. Each hurricanes prompted an island-wide energy grid failure.

A senior official on the U.S. Division of Vitality mentioned the $1 billion accredited by U.S. Congress in December to assist restore Puerto Rico’s grid is just not ample. U.S. President Joe Biden had sought $3 billion, and federal lawmakers had requested $5 billion for photo voltaic rooftop panels and storage installations.

The ultimate research, funded by the Federal Emergency Administration Company, will probably be revealed by 12 months’s finish.