Solar in the news: SEI instructor weighs in on Elon Musk’s proposal to strengthen the grid in Puerto Rico through renewables and storage

Could solar and storage technology help rebuild Puerto Rico’s grid in the wake of Hurricane Maria? Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk thinks so.

The renewable energy mogul tweeted on October 5, “The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico too.”

The governor of Puerto Rico, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, responded, tweeting “Let’s talk. Do you want to show the world the power and scalability of your #TeslaTechnologies? PR could be that flagship project.”

Following that initial conversation, the two had a 25-minute phone call over the weekend, according to USA Today, where Rosselló continued to express interest in teaming up to find a solution through renewable energy. “I told him because of the devastation, if there is a silver lining, we can start re-conceptualizing how we want to produce energy here in Puerto Rico and distribute it and do it in a more reliable fashion,” Rosselló told USA Today. “It was a very positive first step.”

Tesla has already shipped hundreds of their Powerwall batteries to the island territory to help with the ongoing power outages, which could last for up to six months. Batteries and the search for cutting-edge technological storage solutions have made headlines recently as the global capacity for installed renewable energy continues to grow.

What potential might storage have for insulating communities against the brunt of natural disaster? We asked Solar Energy International (SEI) Instructor to weigh in. Kelly Larson is on SEI’s campus in Paonia, Colorado this week instructing 301L: Solar Electric Lab Week (battery-based).

“Community resilience is crucial. All of our communities need to be able to respond in an emergency whether it’s a place for medical attention or clean water,” Larson said. “Batteries are a part of that because they can provide stored electricity for emergency needs.”

As for the recent spotlight on storage? “Renewable energy is used intermittently,” Larson explained. “As we move forward with renewable sources of energy we have to be able to store it for use at any time.”  

Interested in learning more about battery-based photovoltaic (PV) systems and microgrids? Sign up for one of our upcoming online courses today! SEI will be offering PVOL203: PV System Fundamentals (Battery-Based) and PVOL303: Advanced PV Multimode and Microgrid Design starting November 6.

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