Wood Mackenzie, an energy research, data and consultancy firm, in partnership with nonprofit Let’s Share the Sun Foundation and other donors, funded the installation of a solar and energy storage system at a shelter serving women and children fleeing domestic violence in Puerto Rico.
The rooftop system, designed to meet 100% of the shelter’s energy needs, features a 20.7 kW dc solar array with a 45 kWh battery backup system. The shelter serves thousands of community members a year, and expects to save about $700 in energy costs.
Solar with battery backup provides improved energy access to those in some of Puerto Rico’s most at-risk areas. In several regions of Puerto Rico, power is frequently out due to storms and infrastructure issues.
In 2024, for example, Hurricane Ernesto in August 2024, which reportedly left half the island without electricity. Because of the island’s historically underinvested infrastructure, its residents are often without power for long periods after these storms, while also facing energy costs that are twice the U.S. average.
The solar installation at the shelter for victims of domestic violence provides support through the three pillars of Let’s Share the Sun’s mission:
- Solar for health: Reliable power for medical coordination and healthcare services
- Solar for women: Energy security and opportunity for women seeking safety and empowerment
- Solar for education: Stable power for educational programs, including the shelter’s innovative program for children ages 0 to 6
“In Puerto Rico, community resilience is constantly tested by an unreliable power grid,” said Luke Lewandowski, vice president, global renewables research at Wood Mackenzie. “This solar and energy storage system does more than lower costs; it provides the safety and stability necessary for women and children to thrive with dignity.”
This year marks the fifth trip by a global delegation of Wood Mackenzie employees, who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, held on International Women’s Day.
“The Let’s Share the Sun Foundation is delighted to continue building a growing partnership with Wood Mackenzie focused on energy resilience that benefits vulnerable communities, especially women victims of domestic violence,” said Nancy Brennan-Jordan, executive director of the Let’s Share the Sun Foundation.
Last year Wood Mackenzie, in partnership with Let’s Share the Sun and other third parties, donated 24 solar panels and 2 batteries to a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Puerto Rico. The fully installed 10.8 kW dc system and 27.2 kWh battery provides a significant portion of the shelter’s power needs.
Since its initial trip in 2022, Wood Mackenzie’s partnership with Let’s Share the Sun has resulted in the installation of hundreds of solar panels and dozens of energy storage systems to help power nearly 50 homes of beneficiaries challenged by medical dependencies. Read more about Let’s Share the Sun.
“For years now, we’ve seen the power of what these clean energy installations can do –they provide more than just electricity; they provide security and independence for families and communities in need,” said Lewandowski.
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