IREC opens RFP for 5 new energy resilience hubs in Puerto Rico
The project will install solar and battery systems in underserved communities.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the design, construction and maintenance of five community energy resilience hubs across Puerto Rico.
The initiative will bring 5-kilowatt (kW) solar systems and 13-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery storage units to community centers in San Diego (Coamo), Rubias (Yauco), Quebrada Arenas (Caguas), Castañer (Lares) and La Perla (San Juan).
“More than seven years after Hurricane María, these communities continue to face many challenges due to a fragile, unstable and intermittent electrical system,” the RFP states. “The resilience hubs will provide photovoltaic energy with storage to essential community centers and will allow the residents of the communities to be more resilient in the face of natural hazards and other emergencies related to the electrical network.”
The installations will support refrigeration for food and medications, phone charging and portable medical equipment. IREC is seeking a single contractor for all five sites but may accept partial proposals. The contract includes a three-year operations and maintenance plan and a two-year workmanship warranty.
Proposals are due by May 30 at 11:59 p.m. AST via IREC’s website. Construction is expected to start July 1 and finish by Sept. 15.
Applicants must follow Puerto Rico’s energy and interconnection rules with utility LUMA Energy. Proposals submitted in Spanish are preferred for review.
“This opportunity is a design-build project that includes engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance of the system,” according to the RFP. Community-specific load profiles and site plans will be provided to assist bidders with proposal development.
A virtual information session is scheduled for today, May 6, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Site visits are set for May 12–15, with contract awards announced by June 9.
The RFP is part of the second phase of a U.S. Department of Energy initiative to provide basic energy resilience across Puerto Rico. In 2024, IREC completed installations in five other communities.
