Puerto Rico apartment block installs three independent solar and battery systems to counter grid outages
By Eve
A two unit apartment building in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, has deployed three separate solar and battery installations to maintain power during frequent blackouts. Each apartment received 18 panels of 550 W capacity and 19.8 kWh of Briggs and Stratton batteries, while a third system with a SimpliPHI 6.6 battery powers electric gates and common area lighting. The systems operated in self consumption mode for five months while awaiting approval from grid operator Luma Energy, according to Solar Power World.
Why it matters
The project demonstrates a distributed microgrid model for multi tenant properties in grids with chronic reliability issues, creating potential demand for modular solar and storage installations. It also highlights regulatory approval timelines as a barrier to deployment, relevant for developers and installers targeting resilience markets in island and disaster prone regions.
Source
- Original title
- “Puerto Rico apartments turn to solar and batteries to weather blackouts”
- Published
- 29 October 2026
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Grid & Energy
- Place
- Puerto Rico
Related news
DTEK restored power to more than 6.7 million families in October after Russian attacks
According to a Ukrainian-language report, DTEK crews restored electricity in October to more than 6.7 million families in Kyiv, and the Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, fully or partly reconnecting over 2,200 settlements. Kyiv accounted for more than 2 million homes, Donetsk region 1.47 million, Dnipropetrovsk region 1.42 million, Kyiv region almost 1 million and Odesa region 812,800. DTEK said repair work starts only after clearance from the armed forces and the State Emergency Service, and that overnight on 31 October Russian forces again struck energy sites in Dnipropetrovsk region, seriously damaging equipment at two DTEK Dnipro Electric Networks facilities.
Why it matters
Repeated damage to distribution networks in these regions affects grid reliability and connection timelines for any charging project in Ukraine. Developers and CPOs should factor in supply interruption risk, on-site resilience and access constraints when planning sites and contracts.
DTE Energy and Sonnen to link nearly 100 home batteries in Michigan's first residential virtual power plant pilot
DTE Energy and battery manufacturer Sonnen will coordinate nearly 100 home batteries in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in a two year pilot announced on 29 October and approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The batteries sit in Thrive Collaborative's carbon neutral Veridian at County Farm development, and DTE will assess whether coordinated storage can lower system costs, improve reliability and meet peak demand more cheaply than building new capacity. The details come from a DTE and Sonnen news release published by The Manila Times and reported by The Cool Down.
Why it matters
Utilities testing aggregated residential storage as an alternative to new capacity signals a growing focus on flexible, coordinated load and supply, which can shape how charging sites are planned, connected and priced in the same networks. CPOs and procurement teams should watch the pilot's findings for what they mean for peak demand management and grid support models.
Chhattisgarh seeks ₹5.6 lakh crore of energy investment and targets 15,000 MW of green capacity by 2030
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 in New Delhi that the state wants ₹5.60 lakh crore over five years, including ₹1.33 lakh crore for 23,923 MW of renewable projects and about ₹3.27 lakh crore for thermal expansion, according to an official statement. The state aims to lift green energy's share of electricity demand from 15% to more than 45% by 2030, and has identified 10 pumped storage projects totalling 12,300 MW (about ₹65,000 crore) alongside plans for 10,000 MWh of battery storage. Chhattisgarh currently has more than 28,000 MW of coal based thermal capacity.
Why it matters
A cleaner grid mix and large storage pipeline in a coal heavy state could shape future power cost and availability for charging operators, though the report does not mention EV charging directly. Procurement teams should watch how the renewable and storage opportunities turn into tenders.