Casa Pueblo to launch Puerto Rico’s first national energy lab
The Adjuntas-based center will focus on clean energy research and connect solar microgrids for community resilience.
Casa Pueblo in Adjuntas has announced the launch of Puerto Rico’s first national energy laboratory, a new center for applied research focused on community-led energy innovation and resilience.
The Community Laboratory for Energy Transition, introduced as part of Casa Pueblo’s 45th anniversary celebration, will develop and implement clean energy solutions to support sustainable and decentralized power systems across the island.
“Developing this laboratory formally enters the field of energy innovation and represents a new scale of work within the energy insurrection,” said Arturo Massol-Deyá, associate director of Casa Pueblo.
The lab builds on Casa Pueblo’s existing solar infrastructure in Adjuntas, including the Casa Pueblo microgrid, the Plaza de la Independencia Energética, and the Adjuntas Pueblo Solar systems. These systems will be interconnected to create what the organization says will be the first solar microgrid network in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
“This is a real-life learning environment, with authentic climate variables, natural phenomena, traditional electrical system failures, real people and consumption patterns, and real-time data,” Massol-Deyá said.
The goal is to turn microgrid theory into scalable practice, with implications for both everyday community needs and emergency resilience, he said.
The laboratory will also support academic research and industry development by offering historical data, technical training, and guidance on microgrid design, operation and maintenance. Casa Pueblo is in the process of hiring a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering to lead the initiative.
More than a dozen universities have pledged support for the lab, and the conservation organization Para la Naturaleza has expressed interest in applying the lab’s expertise to guide its energy transition strategy.
“This laboratory is unique in the world,” Massol-Deyá said. “It’s a dream come true: Puerto Rico’s first national energy laboratory.”
Casa Pueblo expects the project to contribute to economic development in Adjuntas while serving as a model for community-centered clean energy systems globally.
