In November 2017, Professor Lilo Pozzo led a group of students to remote Jayuya, Puerto Rico to assess energy needs for the local clinic and residents who rely on electricity for health care needs. Lilo's team installed the first of many solar panels, which helped keep medicines cool and life-saving equipment running, replacing propane and gas generators with a sustainable, resilient and easy to maintain power source. Since November, Lilo and her team have returned to install more solar panels and help the residents of this rural town recover from Hurricane Maria. With support from the UW Clean Energy Institute (CEI) and in collaboration with other partners, Lilo's vision has become a reality.

Read more about the ongoing project and the people involved | Donate to the Puerto Rico Energy Recovery Fund

(January 2019) Pozzo's team publishes its findings on the systems' performance in IEEE Power and Energy Magazine — PV-Battery Systems for Critical Loads During Emergencies: A Case Study from Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria  

(May 2018)  Grid By Grid — Months after Hurricane Maria, thousands in rural Puerto Rico still lack electricity. In partnership with local communities, UW researchers are working to restore their power.

(Dec 2017)  Rethinking Electric Power, Prompted by Politics and Disaster (NY Times | Dec. 11, 2017 | By Kirk Johnson)

(Dec 2017)  Watch King 5 News Video (Seattle King 5 News |  Dec. 17, 2017)

Project Web Page: https://www.cei.washington.edu/puerto-rico/

Make a donation to the Puerto Rico Energy Recovery Fund