Blue Planet Energy collaborated with various non-governmental organisations and local groups to deploy the systems, which are helping to power a clean water pumping system in the Corozal municipality and a volunteer housing facility in the Isabela municipality. The company is also helping to train and educate personnel involved in electrification efforts in the country.
The company installed a 16 kWh Blue Ion 2.0 battery unit at a well pumping system in the remote Palos Blancos neighbourhood in Corozal developed by Water Mission. It has been paired with a 7 kWh solar PV system and will help to extend the pump’s run time, support greater on-demand pumping service and provide supplemental charging for critical on-site communications components. The company also deployed a 16 kWh Blue Ion system at the Las Dunas volunteer centre, which offers housing and support for humanitarian aid workers installing solar energy kits in areas of need around Puerto Rico.
The Blue Ion unit at Las Dunas was installed through partnerships with the non-profit Coastal Marine Resource Centre (CMRC) and solar design and installation firm New Energy Consultants & Contracting. It provides robust off-grid energy storage to the centre, which houses up to 15 volunteers. CMRC is planning to install more than 100 solar-plus-storage systems at community centres to boost recovery operations in the island’s most under-served regions.
Additional system components were provided by New Energy and Pennsylvania-based Warren Electric Cooperative, and New Energy technicians supported the Blue Ion’s installation.
Mark Baker, Director of Disaster Response for Water Mission, said much of Puerto Rico still lacks access to clean drinking water and electricity. Water Mission’s task is to coordinate with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to install safe drinking water stations and solar-powered pumping systems to provide water to those that need it most. Water Mission has more than 16 years’ experience in disaster response.
Image: Courtesy of Water Mission
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