Bringing Reliable, Renewable Energy to the People of Puerto Rico
Courtesy of RMI.
By Max Lainfiesta, Nathaniel Buescher, & Michael Liebman
Income inequality is palpable on the streets of the United States in cities and towns alike. On one block you may have neighborhoods with maintained roads and sidewalks, well-funded schools, and easy access to services including grocery stores, transit, healthcare, and banks. And on the next block you may have neighborhoods in transit or food deserts with vulnerable key infrastructure including streets, schools, and healthcare.
This checkerboard-like phenomenon becomes ever more apparent after a disaster, as communities with less resources wait, often literally in the dark, while construction crews and vehicles go first to the areas with more.
This was especially visible in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, which struck four years ago on September 20, when communities endured the longest power outage in US history. Public aid for many lower- and middle-income communities was both insufficient and slow. That is why RMI and partners* formed the Puerto Rico Community Energy Resilience Initiative (CERI).
CERI’s goal is to advance access to reliable and renewable energy for critical facilities in low-to-moderate income communities using solar plus storage microgrids. Under a broader definition of critical facility, examples include hospitals and fire stations, local life-sustaining businesses, and non-profits providing essential services following disasters.
The CERI team spent a year working on pilot projects, community engagement, and financing vehicle development. In the end, the team found that a community-driven process combined with flexible capital and technical assistance is the most effective way to help achieve energy resilience for those whose needs are not served in the current market.
The CERI team on site at one of the critical facilities: Farmacia Jomari in rural Puerto Rico. During power outages after Hurricane Maria, the pharmacy provided critical health & financial services to local community members.
Putting All Communities in the Driver’s Seat
CERI puts Puerto Rican communities that received limited aid after disasters in the driver’s seat. The team does this by first listening to community stakeholders and then addressing their energy resilience needs by preparing and de-risking the project. CERI then uses a blend of capital from financial institutions and philanthropic organizations to advance access to reliable and renewable energy.
Currently, the CERI team is installing four pilot projects at critical facilities: two nonprofit organizations and two local businesses, with systems averaging approximately 63 kW of solar and 30 kWh of storage. The pilot projects highlight the importance of community ownership of systems, flexibility in designing a project’s financing, and timing for engaging different stakeholders.
When microgrid projects are locally owned, community members autonomously create their energy goals while simultaneously bolstering local economies and jobs. Facility leaders can determine which equipment and operations must continue during an outage based on their own experiences. This bottom-up involvement shifts accountability from external programs to the community itself.
Flexible Financing Adapts to Community Needs
It is crucial to have financing models that are scalable yet able to flex to individual project constraints. The CERI team will soon launch a financing vehicle which will provide critical facilities throughout the island with concessionary capital and technical assistance needed to simultaneously make systems more affordable and make financing viable.
Operationally, this equates to a lower interest rate and a shorter term on the loan used to pay for the facility’s microgrid. This grant funding contributes to the system’s down payment and to the creation of a loan loss reserve for financial institutions to allow facilities with varying credit histories to access competitive interest rates.
The CERI team’s initial vision was to award a project with an amount of grant funding so that the microgrid’s estimated monthly costs over a 10-year period would be less than the facility’s average monthly energy bill. Monthly costs include loan payments, maintenance, insurance costs, and fixed fees to the utility.
Although some facility staff prioritized the lower monthly energy costs, other facility managers were willing to pay more to reduce their loan term. Such scenarios highlighted the need for the CERI team to work with financial institutions to offer flexibility in the loan’s terms and/or payment options that do not penalize early payments.
Syncing Timelines of Multiple Stakeholders
From a timeline perspective, as the CERI team scales up, the team will ensure to use an inclusive and fair process for project recruitment and selection. This includes engaging with all types of communities (rural and urban, for example) and maintaining transparency with interested facilities.
Once projects are selected, CERI team members will be diligent to engage all the project’s stakeholders early in the project development process and use a competitive process whenever possible to find savings for the participating organizations. Such stakeholders include local financial institutions, local microgrid developers, and critical facility staff. These stakeholders have varying amounts of staff available to focus on a specific microgrid project and differing due diligence and review processes.
For example, financial institutions assess the facility’s financial history, developers build systems based on the facility staff’s requirements, and the facility staff decide whether to take a loan depending on costs and loan terms. If not lined up properly, these timelines translate into time-consuming due diligence processes and rounds of negotiation that can lead to delays in a project.
The Right System for Each Individual Need
Facilities have greatly varying needs differing on the types of electricity services, electricity rates, and on how and when they use energy. Therefore, technical assistance on energy modeling, system sizing, energy efficiency analysis, and procurement support is key to ensure that each facility has the right system and best price for its specific needs.
For example, a therapy and rehabilitation center may use power mainly during weekdays while a supermarket may require a steady energy supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In the event of a prolonged power outage, facilities have very different critical load needs — while some facilities may be able to operate with 25 percent of the usual energy supply, others may require 50 percent or more. Time of use and critical load size have significant implications when designing battery size.
There are also physical constraints that affect project design. Some facilities may have a structurally sound roof that has enough space to accommodate the system, while others may not have enough roof space or may need significant repairs to accommodate a solar system. And some facilities may need ground-mounted systems that increase the system costs (ground mounted systems of this size are often more expensive than roof mounted systems based on the additional construction needed).
In most cases, facility owners and or administrators lack the experience and background needed to know if the system is right for their needs, if the price is appropriate given the market, or if the equipment meets the local requirements. With technical assistance, facilities can get the right system at the right price, and are likely to share their positive experiences with colleagues. This will lead to grassroots scaling of renewable energy in communities in Puerto Rico and beyond.
The Importance of Capacity Building
Maintenance is key to the sustainability of these systems. Building the capacity to check the system, use pre-contracted O&M and warranties, replace parts as needed, and ensure continuous safety and system operation is essential. Through a CERI-specific capacity building plan, facility owners and administrators gain the knowledge required to understand the technical aspects, financials, and overall implications of acquiring and maintaining a solar-plus-storage microgrid.
What’s Next for CERI?
The CERI team is preparing a transition to a next phase of demonstration projects across Puerto Rico. This work will set the stage for the full implementation of a scaled-up financing vehicle where hundreds of facilities will benefit from affordable and resilient solar-plus-storage microgrids.
These microgrids will provide stable energy prices, savings from day one, the ability to continue providing essential services in the event of an emergency, environmental benefits, and ultimately, community resilience and wellness. They will enable all community members to receive critical services such as health care, food, water, and communication when needed most.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at CERI@rmi.org.
* CERI was founded by The Rockefeller Foundation; RMI; Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico; The Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust; the Association of Renewable Energy Consultants and Contractors for Puerto Rico; and Resilient Power Puerto Rico.
Featured photo by Wei Zeng on Unsplash
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Alexander Vlaskamp, the outspoken CEO of MAN Trucks, claims that an electric semi truck can pay for itself in less than three years – but there are a few asterisks in that statement. We’ll try to unpack them all for you here.
MAN began series production of its eTruck electric semi in July on a flexible line capable of building up to 100 trucks per day with either diesel or battery-electric power. With production underway, the challenge now is selling the things. That means proving that the higher upfront cost pays off with a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), and the first stop on that train is incentives.
The good news is that, in the EU, incentives are plentiful. MAN says those programs, together with Europe’s much higher diesel prices compared to the US (about $6.80/gal compared to $3.70, as I type this), can help the eTruck pay for itself in as little as two and a half years.
And, if you’re not familiar with European incentives for electric semi trucks, hold on to your hats because they are wild:
- up to 80% of vehicle purchase price subsidy in Austria (ENIN)
- in Belgium, there’s a subsidy for up to 32% of the price of the truck (up to 2 trucks per company)
- in Ireland, government incentives cover 30–60% of the up-front cost difference versus a comparable diesel truck
- Norway offers a similar 60% diesel cost difference incentive
- etc., etc., ad nauseam
MAN’s customers can do that math easily enough – the company says it already has 700 orders on the books already, and expects to hit 1,000 by year’s end. But that math only maths if those customers can actually access the electrons to replace all that diesel … and the charging infrastructure they’re going to need for all those trucks? That’s still a ways off.
“It’s all about the charging infrastructure, that’s the problem,” Vlaskamp told Börsen-Zeitung. “When it comes to investment in charging stations, Europe is lagging far behind … what’s needed now is the political will to reverse this trend,” adding, “We need to act quickly.”
Charging is key
Spanish-language site Motorpasión notes that red tape isn’t the only reason charging lags. Driving investment into new charging infrastructure is lagging, too – but MAN’s CEO thinks there’s a simple fix: take half of annual toll revenues generated by commercial trucks (around €7 billion in Germany, alone) and funnel it directly into DC fast charging.
In addition to the still deficient charging network, another obstacle is the cost of electricity for charging. Vlaskamp proposes a reduced price for commercial truckers, as has traditionally been the case with diesel. Currently, the average price is 45 to 50 cents per kWh, but says the ideal would be, “between €0.20 and €0.30/kWh.”
TL;DR: if charging was cheaper and easier to access and the government was willing to subsidize EVs as much as they’ve subsidized oil with the creating and ongoing support of a globalized military industrial complex, MAN Trucks’ CEO thinks plug-in semis would be a no-brainer.
Head on down to the comments and let us know if you agree.
SOURCE | IMAGES: MAN, via Börsen-Zeitung, Motorpasión.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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It’s Labor Day weekend, which means big deals on car lots across America – especially if you’re shopping for a new electric vehicle to help with your labor. We’ve rounded up the best offers on electric pickups, vans, and even a great option for ride share drivers!
Sure, there’s a bit of irony in pitching “work vehicles” on a holiday meant for not working – but for many small business owners, work is part of who they are. And with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit set to expire, plus a wave of great Labor Day deals on work-ready EVs, now might be the best time yet to plug into a new electric ride.
Here are some of the standout electric vehicles offers we found this Labor Day weekend (2025), organized by vehicle type.
Electric pickup | F-150 Lightning
The “Ford for America,” summer sales event continues through Labor Day with interest-free 0% financing, $0 down payment, and zero payments for up to 90 days for retail customers. Ford is also throwing in $0 maintenance for 24 months.
But wait, there’s more! Ford Authority is reporting that a complimentary home charger and standard installation might also be included as part of the Ford Power Promise promotion happening at participating dealers in select markets with the purchase of a new F-150 Lightning pickup through the end of September.
Lease customers aren’t being left out, either. You can lease a 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT 4P 311A pickup at $399 per month for 36 months, with “just” $399 due at signing (basically your first month’s payment).
Electric van | Chevy Brightdrop
The best electric vehicle deal in the business keeps on truckin’ into Labor Day weekend, with new 2025 Brightdrop models currently eligible for up to $21,500 in manufacturer rebates before any Federal, state, local utility, or even Costco membership incentives kick in.
For your money, you get a capable, Ultium-based electric cargo van with more room than your college dorm and a nationwide dealer network to keep it up and running when you need it most.
Electric van (hon. mention) | Mercedes eSprinter
Despite being based on the company’s existing diesel platform, Mercedes’ eSprinter has proven itself a capable urban hauler in the hands of Amazon, DHL, and countless European tradespeople. Despite that, there are still a handful of leftover 2024 models hanging around dealer lots – enough that Mercedes is offering up to $30,000 (!) Customer Cash on any new ’24MY eSprinter purchased from dealer stock.
That discount is enough to bring the price of this 2024 eSprinter in Chicago from $87,823 all the way down to $57,823 this Labor Day weekend – and that’s before you factor in state and local utility incentives that can bring the price down even further.
As you can imagine, there’s some fine print on that Customer Cash deal. It can’t be combined with Special APR programs through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (MBFS), but it can be combined with the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Medium Fleet Program.
Ride share ride | VW ID.4
Ride share drivers looking for comfortable seats, room for five adults and their luggage, proven battery life, and lickety-quick charging speeds can stop looking. Volkswagen is offering a sweet ID.4 lease at nearly half the cost of an entry-level Jetta with payments starting at just $129/mo. – that’s despite the ID.4 carrying a significantly higher MSRP.
And, while we’re at it, it’s probably worth noting that serious road warriors will probably save more than $129/mo. in fuel alone.
If you prefer to own your vehicles after making payments on them for a few years, you can also get 0% interest financing on select ID.4s for up to 72 months. It’s important to note here that Volkswagen’s deals can vary wildly by region. That $129/mo. offer is available in California and a few other West Coast states, for example, but the electric crossover’s listed at $329 for 24 months with $4,499 due at signing in others.
Disclaimer: the vehicle models and financing deals above were sourced from CarsDirect, CarEdge, and (where mentioned) the OEM websites – and were current as of 29AUG2025. These deals may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied). Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.
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Sustainable construction experts McKinstry have teamed up with leading BESS developers Viridi and the Denver Public Library to deploy a first-of-its-kind solar and battery storage system that sets a new standard for fire safety.
The Denver Public Library sought a battery energy storage system (BESS) that could deliver cost savings without compromising safety for staff, visitors, or the architecturally significant, Michael Graves–designed structure itself. That required a battery backup solution that not only met the city’s fire safety standards, but also addressed public fears about the risk of lithium-ion battery fires.
That unique set of project priorities led the library to Viridi, makers of the RPSLinkEX battery solution that’s equipped with a unique, “passive Fail-Safe thermal management and anti-propagation technology” designed to prevent the sort of thermal runaway that leads to li-ion battery fires.
“Public facilities like the Denver Public Library are at the forefront of demonstrating that energy resilience and safety can go hand in hand,” said Jon M. Williams, CEO at Viridi. “This installation highlights how fail-safe battery storage can empower communities to maximize renewable energy, reduce costs, and maintain reliability – all without compromise.”
Keeping it safe
Viridi doesn’t talk too much about how its passive Fail-Safe thermal management system works, but if you’re picturing heat-dissipating layers, fire-resistant insulation, and strategically-placed phase change materials (or PCMs) limiting the transfer of heat from one cell to another if it begins to overheat, you’ve probably cracked it.
These passive safety features enable safer deployment scenarios in occupied buildings or near critical infrastructure by reducing dependence on active fire suppression systems like sprinklers or fire extinguishers, and convinced the City of Denver to move forward with the project, which is the city’s first-ever solar + battery storage system.
“The entire McKinstry team is very excited about developing and constructing the first Solar + BESS project for the City and County of Denver,” said Jon Ensley, Sr. Construction Project Engineer at McKinstry. “We are appreciative of all our partners and stakeholders who helped to achieve this goal. We value Viridi’s expertise in deploying this technology and the whole team has been great to work with.”
McKinstry says this latest solar project sets, “a new benchmark for how cities can combine renewable energy and battery storage without compromising safety.” And, with solutions like the RPSLinkEX building systems that meet city planners and politicians where they are, instead of trying to educated them about the objective, proven safety of li-ion batteries, Viridi is helping communities adopt cleaner, more resilient clean energy solutions sooner rather than later.
READ MORE
SOURCE | IMAGES: Viridi, via PV Magazine; Michael Graves.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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