On Monday, German energy storage manufacturer sonnen Inc., a global leader in installed and working residential energy storage systems since 2010 and creator of the “sonnenCommunity,” announced the “Puerto Rico Energy Security Initiative” (PRESI) to help bring energy security to Puerto Rico, where millions of Americans are currently without electricity.
The initiative will begin with providing microgrids to at least 15 emergency relief centers in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Then, the initiative will expand to include all of the island. sonnen will be partnering with their local partner and distributor of its products, Pura Energia. Also, sonnen intends to subsidize the company’s expenses for installing sonnen units and solar arrays.
Pura Energia and sonnen partner to help Puerto Rico
The Wildpoldsried, Germany-based sonnen Inc. said in an email to Bloomberg on Monday it began delivering its sonnen storage systems to Puerto Rico last week and expects to deliver at least one shipment each week as Puerto Rico’s ports reopen. The name “sonnen” translates from the German as “sunbathe.”
Puerto Rico -based Pura Energia is already a distributor of the Sonnen Batterie Eco, an energy storage solution that uses intelligent software, allowing for the use of various energy resources, including the solar arrays installed by the company. The sonnen batterie is an integrated system that combines Lithium Iron Phosphate battery modules with an inverter/charger and software platform.
The sonnen batterie modules require no maintenance and have a charge-discharge capacity of 100 percent. The system has a lifespan of 10,000 cycles. This means that if you use the available load and recharge it daily, the system has a durability of up to 30 years.
Solar companies open their hearts to the island
With Puerto Rico’s electrical grid completely knocked-out, and repairs expected to take months, it is imperative that power be restored as quickly as possible. This is why microgrids make sense. Microgrids are small-scale systems that combine solar panels and batteries that can be installed quickly to restore power to a few buildings at a time.
As was reported in Digital Journal, Tesla is sending hundreds of its Powerwall battery systems to the island, and Sunnova Inc., Puerto Rico’s largest rooftop solar provider, has plans to install batteries to complement its systems. Additionally, portable-solar company, Goal Zero, among others, is coordinating efforts to get solar-powered lanterns to Puerto Rico.
And on Friday, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) posted an announcement about its efforts to coordinate with solar companies to donate equipment and installation services. SEIA is developing partnerships and coordinating with agencies to most efficiently and effectively deliver the supplies that are needed.
