Sunrun has begun dispatching over 37,000 home batteries in Puerto Rico to provide emergency power as the grid struggles to keep up amid increased demand from high temperatures.
The energy provided by Sunrun’s distributed power plant relieves grid strain and helps to prevent rotating blackouts, dispatching energy to the grid for four consecutive hours at a time.
Since last summer, the company’s enrolled dispatchable power capacity has increased more than tenfold to support Puerto Rico’s grid.
Electric utility operator LUMA anticipates over 75 energy shortfall events between July and October. LUMA has confirmed that Sunrun and other aggregators have provided enough energy during recent evenings to overcome widespread generation shortages.
“The aging grid and intense weather patterns in many parts of the country, including Puerto Rico, mean that our dispatchable power is of critical importance,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell, in a statement. “It’s going to be a very difficult summer, which is why Sunrun has ramped up our dispatch capabilities, using tens of thousands of home batteries to support the grid and people of Puerto Rico. Our many distributed power plants—active in states across the country—provide the same grid function as a natural gas peaker plant by delivering affordable, reliable power exactly when the grid needs it.”
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