Power in Numbers: Case Study of the Culebra Community Residential Solar Project

Abstract

Residential solar systems, often paired with batteries for onsite energy storage, are increasingly popular as a source of clean, reliable power, but access to such systems lags among lower-income households. In 2019, Environmental Defense Fund began working with residents of the Puerto Rican island of Culebra in a partnership to demonstrate how renewable energy systems could be deployed to provide clean, affordable, resilient, reliable energy in an under-resourced community. The project prioritized the participation of high-need households including those with electrically powered medical equipment, elderly residents and children. This case study, based on project documents and interviews with participants and a wide range of stakeholders, identifies barriers to deploying solar with storage in an isolated and under-resourced community and strategies to overcome them. The case study can inform other programs aiming to expand solar energy access, particularly in remote and under-resourced communities.