Eaton wins engineering award for microgrid project in Puerto Rico
The company will discuss its Arecibo project and sustainable infrastructure strategies at the Reuters Industrial Decarbonization North America 2024 event.
Intelligent power management company Eaton announced it received the 2024 International Energy Project of the Year award from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).
The company was recognized for “helping develop Puerto Rico’s largest clean energy microgrid at its manufacturing plant in Arecibo, substantially reducing the facility’s carbon footprint, boosting energy resilience and bolstering community infrastructure.”
Eaton Senior Global Energy Manager Richard Gorzé will also be named an AEE Fellow Member, highlighting his contributions to the association and the energy industry. Gorzé will accept the award and the AEE Fellow honor at the 2024 AEE World Energy Conference & Expo.
“The ability to generate sustainable, resilient and affordable power is essential to ensure a stronger future for communities and businesses around the world,” said Gorzé. “I’m honored to be recognized for our pioneering project, marking a substantial advancement in energy resilience and sustainability.”
Built in collaboration with Enel North America, the clean energy project at Eaton’s Arecibo manufacturing facility is expected to generate more than 9,000 megawatts of renewable power annually. It incorporates 5 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic panels, approximately 1.1 MW of battery storage and existing onsite generators.
The project enables the facility, which produces circuit breakers for residential, commercial and industrial applications, to operate using 55% renewable energy, reducing emissions by approximately 7,100 metric tons annually.
Eaton’s Arecibo microgrid is designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds and provides additional value in normal grid-connected operations by generating renewable energy that can be consumed, stored or delivered back to the local grid.
Following the success of the Arecibo project, Eaton and Enel North America are developing a second microgrid at Eaton’s Las Piedras manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico.
