Palmas del Mar goes solar with $227K installation
The project consists of 292 solar panels of 250 watts each, which will produce approximately 117,238 Kw. hour per year.
The Palmas del Mar Homeowners Association recently inaugurated a $227,000 photovoltaic project, the first at Palmas del Mar, which will supply the electrical needs of it’s main building, an 11,000 square-foot facility.
The project consists of 292 solar panels of 250 watts each, which will produce approximately 117,238 Kw. hour per year. The PHA estimates it will save some $25,000 per year, and will see a return on its investment is approximately 4.5 years.
The PHA received a $90,800 incentive from the government to build the project, said Antonio Maldonado, executive director of PHA.
“Not only do we decrease the energy cost for PHA, but we also provide a better environment by promoting the use of renewable energy in these facilities and the lighting of our roads,” he said. “We continue to innovate and look for ways to improve our environment and contribute to its preservation.”
The solar project is the latest for the PHA, which over the years has been actively involved in environmental conservation within the premises of Palmas del Mar, maintaining collaborative arrangements with various government agencies. The association is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Pterocarpus Forest, one of the largest of its kind here in the island and easily accessible to visitors, and has spent more than 15 years working with programs sponsored by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the protection of sea turtles that nest on the coast.
“Our actions demonstrate the strong commitment of the community of Palmas del Mar to the improvement of our environment and the quality of life of our residents and visitors,” Maldonado said.
Beginning in 2002, PHA installed solar roadside luminaries throughout Palmas del Mar and continues to explore other alternate and eco-friendly solutions that will improve the environment and the quality of life of its community, he said.
“We’re working hard to combat light pollution following the recently promulgated by the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board guidelines,” Maldonado noted.
