Puerto Rico’s community possession of solar energy: alternative to frequent blackouts
Enid Medina Guzman always has candles at hand – not for creating ambiance, but because one of the Black -outs that Puerto Rico Pest could strike at any time.
But she is hopeful that the persistent hardships will soon be a thing of the past: solar panels will be installed in her house as part of a community program that promotes energy independence.
In her house, high in the mountains of the lush tropical forests of the central city advice of the archipelago: “It rains a lot and when there is a little wind, the power goes out very quickly,” Medina Guzman told AFP.
She has lived in Adjuntas, who has a population of around 20,000, almost all her life. She said that Black -Outs have always been a function.
“Sometimes it is at night when it’s super hot and you can’t sleep, you can’t rest,” said the 60-year-old. “It’s difficult.”
Puerto Rico is a Caribbean of more than three million people who have been under American control since 1898.
The chronic infrastructure problems were exacerbated in the devastating hurricane Maria of 2017, which destroyed the already deteriorated electricity grid of the island.
After the massive storm it took about 11 months to restore power over the island.
The electric grid went private in June 2021 in a clear attempt to solve the problem of multi -year Blackouts.
But malfunctions continue to exist: in the past year, Puerto Rico experienced huge blackouts in April and also on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s not normal,” said Medina Guzman, while a crew installed the battery that quickly stores caught energy from the sun.
– ‘hands of the people’ – –
Just like everywhere in Puerto Rico, Adjuntas Donker became a pink house from the 1920s on the main square of the city a beacon of light.
It was Casa Pueblo, the core of a non-profit grassroots non-profit focused on ecological protection and community support.
It became a refuge in the aftermath of the storm: the solar panels on the roof meant that Casa Pueblo had precious power. People can charge their electronic devices and crucial connecting medical equipment such as oxygen machines.
Celt towers and high -voltage lines were down, but the Casa Pueblo community radio station was still functioning and became an essential source of information in the Bergstad.
Casa Pueblo originated in 1980 the brainchild of a civilian group whose original mission was to thwart a series of planned open pit mines in the region.
They were successful. Over the years, the organization flourished in a model of bottom-up energy independence, on an island that is often impeded by economic crisis and natural disaster.
“Our aspiration is not only a technological transition away from fossil fuels to solar energy. Yes, we have to produce clean and renewable energy, but we strive for a transformation and just, eco-social transition,” said Casa Pueblo’s director Arturo Massol Deya, a biologist through training.
“That means that the energy infrastructure is in the hands of the people,” added Massol Deya, whose parents were the original founders of the group.
– ‘path to change’ –
One of the efforts of Casa Pueblo is to support a community belt of the community that gives vulnerable population about their own energy.
The group has also spread solar lamps and solar cooling cabinets, especially in rural communities.
Casa Pueblo has so far helped with installing solar panels on nearly 300 houses, with a total of more than 400 projects, including companies. Massol Deya told AFP that those initiatives are mainly financed by basic donations and philanthropy.
Their Microgrids-a located energy system-being interconnected and self-sufficient.
And a net measurement – a billing mechanism that credits consumers for surplus electricity produced from renewable systems – enables the center of Casa Pueblo to recover what it does not use.
This is especially useful, since average Puerto Ricanen pay more than double the price for electricity than American residents of the mainland, according to data from the American Energy Information Administration.
“The traditional model is a unilateral, exploiting, monopolistic, dictatorial model,” said Massol Deya.
“They determine the price of fuel and whether they give it to you or not. Sometimes they fail and cannot offer the service,” he said.
“This energy uncertainty translates into many issues – well, no more.”
About 10 percent of Puerto Rican households currently have solar panels, according to the Energy Authority, a number of households reflect with net meetings agreements. There are no publicly available data for structures that work off-grid.
Sergio Rivera Rodriguez is part of a team of academic researchers who study the impact of the public health of energy security on populations such as those in Adjuntas.
He said AFP that the Casa Pueblo model could be successful elsewhere.
“I think it makes a difference – it is of course only one municipality,” he said. But “structural changes take years.”
Casa Pueblo mainly functions, said Massol Deya, because it is a social program that promotes common control over resources.
“People do it,” he said. “This is the path to change.”
