Bacardi Group Puerto Rican HQs go 100% solar
The Bacardí rum distillery in Cataño.
Kyocera Solar Inc. and installer Dynamic Solar Solutions announced Tuesday the installation of 24.75 kilowatts (kW) of Kyocera solar modules atop Emilio Bacardi Group headquarters in San Juan, harnessing renewable energy as a solution to rising energy prices.
The system will produce 34,533 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually — offsetting 100 percent of the power needs of the building — and is expected to pay for itself within five years with the help of government incentives covering 30 percent of the cost.
A Kyocera solar photovoltaic (PV) system, built from Kyocera’s high-reliability solar modules developed during the company’s four decades in the solar industry, provides a consistent, economical solution to rising energy costs.
The Emilio Bacardi Group, which has been in business for more than 40 years on the island, is the owner of Caribbean Energy Distributor Corp., Dynamic Solar Solutions, and eight related corporations.
The 99 Kyocera solar modules are installed atop a steel structure, allowing the use of the roof as a covered terrace while providing ample service access. The project balanced aesthetics with stringent building codes requiring a structure able to withstand hurricane force, 145 mph winds. The system recently withstood Tropical Storm Erika in late August.
