![]() Portable solar generators may also come into play. That could be addressed by covering or turn-down systems, though at additional expense. Solar panels are typically engineered to withstand hurricane-force winds and hail, but the potential for damage from flying debris also needs to be factored in for ground-mounted solar. Other than the potential for washout from storm-related flooding, ground-mounted solar arrays are not as vulnerable as rooftop arrays. With the damage factor in mind, microgrids using ground-mounted solar arrays could offer the most workable path forward. Before widespread rooftop solar can be considered, buildings need to be hardened against hurricane-force winds, and measures to protect roof-mounted solar panels from flying debris must be developed. Maria left a swath of damaged roofs and totally demolished homes. On the other end of the scale, the potential for storm damage to buildings limits the application of rooftop solar. Mountainous territory, the tourist economy and agriculture are among the factors that create serious obstacles to a significant amount of solar farm development. In any case, large-scale solar has limited applicability in Puerto Rico. In sum, when Elon Musk talks scalability he's not necessarily talking about gigantic solar farms. That model is already active in Hawaii, where individual electricity customers can now opt in to a "self-supply" system consisting of rooftop solar panels and storage. Getting down to a more granular level, major public facilities and even individual homes could be equipped with their own rooftop solar arrays and energy storage systems. Under normal conditions the microgrids would feed into a wider grid, but in case of emergency each one could disconnect and insulate itself. That basically describes a system of microgrids, and energy infrastructure experts are in fact beginning coalesce around a new grid model that consists of networks of interconnected microgrids. One solution would be to break the system into smaller arrays requiring shorter transmission lines and, presumably, shorter repair times. If Elon Musk is envisioning a series of large solar arrays similar to those in American Samoa and Hawaii, his model could run into similar problems in the event of another catastrophic storm. The conventional model of large central power plants and long transmission lines clearly failed the entire island after Hurricane Maria swept through.Īccording to reports, the island's power plants were in operational condition following the storm, but that doesn't help much when the power grid is wiped out. Scale is part of the problem - and the solutionĪnother aspect to the challenge involves the need to rebuild Puerto Rico's power system along a completely different path. Puerto Rico's tourism industry reported 10 million visitors last year, which also needs to be factored into energy demand if the territory is to regain its economic footing. In contrast, the population of Puerto Rico is just over 3.4 million. The American Samoa project serves a population of just 600, and the solar array on Kaua'i provides for only 5 percent of the power for the island's 33,000 residents. However, it's a pretty long stretch from SolarCity's island projects to a system that would serve all of Puerto Rico. For example, India's new, sprawling Tamil Nadu solar power plant has a 648 megawatt capacity. Musk claims that "there is no scalability limit" for solar power systems, and on a broad level that's a fairly accurate claim. That includes a 1.4 megawatt solar array for the island of of Ta‘u in American Samoa, and a 12 megawatt solar array for the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i. ![]() To support his solar power promise, Elon Musk referred to SolarCity's experience in bringing solar arrays equipped with energy storage to other islands. Those are important advantages, but can Musk really deliver? In addition, the Tesla EV supply chain revolves around lithium-ion batteries, a form of energy storage that is becoming a standard feature in solar power systems. However, Musk also serves as chairman for the leading solar installer SolarCity, a subsidiary of Tesla. That seems a bit overly ambitious considering that Musk is best known as co-founder, CEO and strategist behind the Tesla electric vehicle company. Famed electric vehicle manufacturer Elon Musk set off a firestorm of speculation last week, when he indicated that he could rebuild the power system of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico with solar energy.
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