Solx Will Manufacture Solar Panels In Puerto Rico - CleanTechnica

Nov 10, 2024

Puerto Rico has been in the news lately after a so-called comedian at a Republican campaign event referred to it as cesspit of human garbage floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Nearly a decade ago, after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, a US president gave Puerto Rico the back of his hand when he flew in to deliver rolls of paper towels before quickly flying back out. It is a shock to many Americans when they find out the people who live in Puerto Rico are actually US citizens and have been since the Jones Act of 1899.

But there is another Jones Act that applies to Puerto Rico. Known officially as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, it requires that maritime vessels moving goods from one US port to another be built in the US, owned by a US company, registered in the US, and crewed by US citizens. It applies to all US territories, including the US Virgin Islands, and places an extra economic burden on them. A ship bringing cars from Germany is not subject to the same requirements, but a ship bringing goods to Puerto Rico is. That Jones Act has largely been responsible for keeping Puerto Rico from developing its economy for anything but tourism.

But there is good news. After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has made tremendous progress converting its energy grid from oil- and coal-fired generating stations to localized solar microgrids that keep the lights on at hospitals and other emergency services providers when the island’s creaky grid is impacted by storms or other natural disasters. Now Great Lakes Solx PR, a minority-owned solar panel manufacturing company, has announced it plans to establish the first solar panel manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico. The factory will be located on the 65-acre Hewlett Packard Campus in Aguadilla, which is in the northwest part of the island near the tourist haven of Rincon. The factory is expected to begin commercial operations in April 2025. When it does, will establish Puerto Rico as a leader in renewable energy adoption and provide a significant boost to the local economy.

“We’ve carefully selected our site in Aguadilla at HP’s world class campus because we believe in the potential of this incredible community. HP has done a phenomenal job maintaining the state of the art facility and we are working tirelessly to launch operations next year,” said James Holmes, co-founder and CEO of Solx. “We are excited to contribute to the local economy by creating jobs and supporting Puerto Rico’s renewable energy future. We are committed to supporting Puerto Rico’s transition from fossil fuels and toward a sustainable future powered by renewable energy. By manufacturing solar panels locally, we aim to directly contribute to the island’s energy transformation.”

Puerto Rico is recognized as a leader in solar energy adoption, as promoted by the ambitious goals outlined in the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act in 2019 and significant investments by the US Department of Energy under the Inflation Reduction Act since its enactment. The island has set a clear target of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2050, with intermediate milestones of 40% renewable energy by 2025 and 60% by 2040. The Solx facility will play a pivotal role in helping Puerto Rico achieve these targets, producing up to 1.2 gigawatts of solar panels annually to support local projects and broader markets across the mainland United States.

When it begins operations, the new Solx facility will create up to 250 high-skilled full time jobs, providing valuable career opportunities for residents. These positions will enable Puerto Ricans to participate in the fast growing renewable energy industry and provide them with long term economic stability — something that is not a given in Puerto Rico for many of its citizens.

The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, welcomed the project. “Puerto Rico offers an ideal location and talent pool for solar panel manufacturing. This new facility will provide affordable solar panels to help the increasing demand for clean energy in the region. The investment will spur economic growth and job creation, helping at the same time to build a sustainable future for Puerto Rico. We welcome Solx to Aguadilla and commend their vision in supporting the transition to renewable energy. With this kind of investment, we will have a great opportunity to become a model for other islands and communities transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. I am sure that with the right investments and policies we are creating, Puerto Rico can transform its energy system in a way that is both environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial,” he said.

Solx has partnered with Invest Puerto Rico, which played a crucial role in facilitating the company’s arrival on the island by guiding them through available incentives together with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, connecting them with real estate and talent selection resources, and introducing them to key stakeholders such as sector experts and industry associations.

Ella Woger-Nieves, CEO of InvestPR, emphasized the significance of this partnership: “Solx’s decision to establish its operations in Puerto Rico is a testament to the island’s potential as a hub for renewable energy innovation. We are proud to have supported Solx in navigating the processes to set up their facility here. This initiative contributes to our renewable energy goals while creating valuable opportunities for Puerto Ricans in a critical and growing industry.” InvestPR and DEDC will also support Solx’s workforce development efforts, ensuring local talent has the skills to excel in the renewable energy sector. Invest Puerto Rico is a non-profit entity created to promote Puerto Rico abroad as a competitive jurisdiction for investment. It focuses on attracting new businesses and capital to promote economic growth on the Island. Its vision is to be a transformational and results oriented economic development accelerator for the Island.

In addition to supporting Puerto Rico’s energy goals, the Solx facility will serve as a local vendor for solar panels, providing locally manufactured products made by Puerto Ricans for Puerto Ricans. This local production reduces the island’s reliance on imported energy products, ensuring that Puerto Rico has a sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure.

In an email to CleanTechnica, Francisco Berrios Portela, the chief energy officer for Puerto Rico, expanded on what the Solx factory means for the island.

“The introduction of new renewable energy plants clearly signals significant opportunities for energy developers on the island as part of the transition to clean energy. The Solx factory represents a new generation of utility scale renewable projects, including a pipeline of approximately 1,000 MW already under contract, in addition to a recently opened procurement process for new developments.

“Puerto Rico’s public policy and legal framework are designed to support the advancement of clean energy utility projects, while also facilitating the installation of more than 3,000 solar rooftop systems per month. The rapid growth of renewable energy installations, coupled with the island’s technical expertise, logistical advantages, and strategic incentive structures, is fostering substantial opportunities. The Solx solar panel manufacturing plant will serve the island’s expanding local market and position Puerto Rico as a hub for exporting US manufactured solar panels. The energy transformation occurring in Puerto Rico is advancing significantly, unlocking incredible opportunities for growth and development across the island.”

There is a subtext to this announcement, one that has implications in many places other than Puerto Rico. Solar coupled with battery storage allows people and businesses to develop microgrids that provide much of their own electricity independent of the electrical grid. Especially in places like Puerto Rico where the grid has been starved of the funds needed to modernize for generations, microgrids are likely to become the new normal, especially as energy costs rise as the demand for electricity to power data centers forces utility companies to invest billions in new infrastructure upgrades.

By the way, travel is the best education there is. If you have not visited Puerto Rico, you owe it to yourself to experience this island paradise in the Atlantic. With its sunny climate, it is the perfect place to be a proving ground for the power of harvesting electricity from sunlight.

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