Islands
Solar Under Storm Part II: Designing Hurricane-Resilient PV Systems
The last three years have seen major hurricanes wreak havoc on island nations. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Dorian caused catastrophic damage to homes, infrastructure, and economies throughout the Caribbean basin. At the same time, the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) power is increasing on Caribbean islands—helping reduce costs and…
Puerto Rico’s Electricity System at a Crossroads
Puerto Rico’s electric system is at a crucial inflection point, with an opportunity to pivot from years of hardship—high energy costs, utility bankruptcy, the largest blackout in US history, and heavy pollution from a system 98 percent powered by fossil fuels—to a new vision that is clean, reliable, and resilient.
From California to the Caribbean: Sharing Expertise on Developing Energy Storage for Grid Applications in Island Nations
Island nations seek innovative and urgent solutions to accelerate the deployment of clean, sustainable solutions to reduce electricity costs, improve grid reliability, and enhance the resilience of their electricity systems against extreme natural and man-made events. Many small island developing states (SIDS) have already initiated a clean energy transition by…
Islands Energy Program Recognized with Global Team Leadership Award
Last month, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Islands Energy Program received the Global Team Leadership Award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). This honor is awarded to a geographically diverse team recognized for making outstanding technical contributions and demonstrating innovative thinking to overcome global…
A Locally Led Move Toward Microgrids in Puerto Rico
The start of this week, September 23, marks the average peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. After the devastating landfall of Hurricane Dorian in the northern Bahamas two weeks ago, the Caribbean community quickly moved to offer support. Relief began mobilizing out of New Providence and Andros Islands, which were…
