Sunrun, Empowered by Light, and Aireko Energy Group Announce Plans to Install Solar on Five Additional Fire Stations in Puert...
November 20 2017 - 8:00AM
Sunrun and Empowered by Light, in partnership with Aireko Energy
Group, today announced an expansion of their collaboration to bring
solar power to critical fire stations in hurricane-ravaged Puerto
Rico as part of a continuing effort to provide emergency relief to
residents on the island. The initiative will equip a total of eight
fire stations on the island with solar power and battery storage,
which will power critical emergency systems 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.
“Empowered by Light is delighted to continue partnering with
Sunrun, and now with our local construction partner, Aireko Energy
Group, to build solar systems to power critical communication
centers at five more fire stations without power,” said Marco
Krapels, co-founder of Empowered by Light.
“Extreme weather events will continue to have long and
devastating impact on communities around the world and it’s crucial
to rebuild with smarter, resilient and distributed energy,” said
Lynn Jurich, co-founder and CEO of Sunrun. “Solar power and battery
storage can be installed in less than two days to provide immediate
relief when the power is down, and then offer a long-term solution
by connecting to the grid and providing services to surrounding
communities when electricity is restored.”
“Firefighters across Puerto Rico are still struggling to find
power at home and work,” said San Juan Fire Department Lieutenant
Francisco Cruz. “These solar and battery systems are bringing our
critical equipment back up and running, keeping it on, and enabling
us to again serve our communities desperately in need.”
“We are humbled to be in the position to assist our
firefighters, who save lives and help the most vulnerable in our
community every day,” said Waldemar E. (“Tito”) Toro, P.E.,
President of Aireko Energy Group. “Installing solar plus
battery storage systems at these fire stations is a small token of
our gratitude to these women and men.”
Two months after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island,
approximately half the island’s residents are still without
power. Much of the island’s critical infrastructure has been
relying on diesel generators in the absence of the power grid, but
most of those generators weren’t designed to run on a continuous
basis, and as a result, many are failing. Sunrun systems are
constructed to withstand high winds and harsh weather over their
multi-decade lifetime.
In addition to providing immediate support to a portion of the
island’s critical infrastructure, Sunrun and Empowered by Light
hope their efforts, in partnership with Aireko Energy Group, will
encourage rebuilding efforts to include renewable energy
technologies. The announcement to install solar on five further
fire stations was made possible, in part, by funding from the
Kresge Foundation, as well as hundreds of individuals who have made
contributions to support the effort.
These installations are examples of microgrids, which are
self-contained electrical systems that will enable the fire
stations to keep their critical communication systems running 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. The technology consists of three
components: solar panels, batteries, and an inverter with charge
controllers.
During the day, solar panels take the energy from the sun, send
it to the charge controller and power life-saving equipment at the
fire station. Energy generated and not used is stored in the
battery so that when the sun goes down at night, the battery can
power all the critical equipment until the next day. The systems
are designed to be flexible enough to run completely independently.
When the power grid infrastructure improves, the solar and battery
system can become part of the grid solution and provide peak load
shaving and ancillary services.
Empowered by Light is a 501©3 non-profit focused on empowering
communities using renewable energy technologies. The organization
has developed solar projects in seven countries, helping school-age
children study better and longer, and powering conservation
centers, ranger stations and indigenous communities in ecologically
sensitive areas of the world. For more information about Empowered
by Light, visit https://www.empoweredbylight.org/
Sunrun (Nasdaq:RUN) is the nation’s largest dedicated
residential solar, storage and energy services company with a
mission to create a planet run by the sun. Since establishing the
solar as a service model in 2007, Sunrun leads the industry in
providing clean energy to homeowners with little to no upfront cost
and at a savings to traditional electricity. The company also
offers Sunrun BrightBox™ solar power generation with smart inverter
technology and home battery storage. For more information, please
visit: www.sunrun.com.
Aireko Energy Group, a turn-key engineering, procurement, and
construction (EPC) company with its headquarters in San Juan,
Puerto Rico and regional offices in Orlando, FL, Norristown, PA,
and New York, NY, is a leading provider of commercial, industrial
and small utility-scale, photovoltaic (PV) system solutions for
customers interested in clean, renewable energy. AEG’s unique and
LEAN approach to solar energy generation is supported through its
integrated team that includes Engineering, Procurement and
Construction (EPC) services. Since 2009, AEG has installed over 100
MWdc throughout Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Eastern United
States. For more information, please visit: www.aireko.com.
For further information, please contact: Moira
Hanes Empowered by Light +1 415-488-7031moira@empoweredbylight.org
Georgia DempseySunrun +1 415-518-9418press@sunrun.com
Emily MarreroAireko Energy Group+1 (787) 653-6300 Ext.
236emarrero@aireko.com
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