Now it’s Maricao: on the way to another solar urban center
The process for the urban center of Maricao to begin operating with solar energy has begun, the Mountain Hydroelectric Cooperative and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) announced this week.
As evidenced by the publication of its call for proposals, the collective has opened a proposal for the development of a facility to generate 140 kilowatts through solar panels, which will be installed on the roofs of five commercial, two municipal and three residential buildings.
The microgrid must also have the capacity to store 169 kilowatt hours (kWh), according to the call published on irecusa.org.
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This Wednesday and Friday
To facilitate the process for interested entities, the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña will hold a virtual proposal conference this Wednesday, December 14, starting at 3:00 p.m., and a site visit on Friday, December 16, starting at 11:00 a.m. in the urban center of Maricao.
Both will provide the details for the proponents to design, install and connect this solar energy system to the public electric system and answer all the necessary questions. Proposals must be submitted on or before Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
With almost 5,000 inhabitants, according to the 2020 Census, Maricao is the second least populated town in Puerto Rico.
The municipality is located in the mountainous area, on the western edge of the Central Mountain Range between the towns of Yauco, Sabana Grande, San Germán, Mayagüez, Las Marías and Lares.
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Due to its topography and location in the mountainous area, landslides are very frequent during episodes of rains and storms, which limits its access and lengthens the recovery time of essential services. Especially after the collapse of power lines.
This lack of energy recurrently affects the quality of life of its residents, especially the elderly population.
Second in two years
As Carlos Alberto Velázquez López, IREC’s director of programs in Puerto Rico, and C. P. Smith Quiles, executive director of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña, this is the second microgrid that both entities have promoted together.
The first was Microgrid 1 in the town of Castañer, inaugurated last May.
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Both microgrids are supported by the Puerto Rico Solar Business Accelerator, an initiative led by IREC and Pathstone Corporation, with a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
