LUMA’s new reliability initiative will allow solar customers to share battery systems to increase stability and improve daily reliability across Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 2, 2023 – Today, LUMA announced the historic launch of its Customer Battery Energy Sharing (CBES) initiative, a battery emergency demand response program, to help improve service reliability for LUMA’s 1.5 million customers in Puerto Rico.
This pilot program will provide participating solar customers with battery storage systems an opportunity to contribute to increased grid stability by helping to increase energy reserves during peak demand periods to reduce rotating outages caused by generation shortfalls.
When needed, renewable energy service providers will activate batteries owned by customers enrolled in CBES to supply energy to the grid, helping to reduce energy demand and improve system reliability, benefiting all customers across Puerto Rico.
“LUMA’s new CBES initiative is another important resource that will help us in our ongoing work to improve system reliability for our customers across the island. CBES will help us address the challenge of always matching demand with supply and minimize the impact of outages caused by ongoing generation shortfalls. We’re proud to partner with leading renewable service providers and participating solar customers to help improve service and reliability for everyone in Puerto Rico,” said Juan Saca, President and Chief Executive Officer of LUMA.
LUMA will partner with renewable energy service providers to manage the program and enroll, including Sunnova Energy International Inc. (“Sunnova”), the first provider to join the CBES initiative. Additional renewable energy providers, including Fortress Power, Sunrun and Tesla, have joined the program and will be reaching out to their qualifying customers to invite them to enroll in the initial pilot phase of CBES. Customers participating in CBES will be compensated by their renewable energy provider for their battery response and energy contributions.
“As the leading residential solar and battery storage services company in Puerto Rico, Sunnova takes great pride in joining forces with LUMA for this groundbreaking energy solution. We firmly believe that the CBES initiative will not only enhance Puerto Rico’s grid but also recognize and reward the valuable contributions of participating customers. The implementation of such programs is vital in reshaping Puerto Rico’s energy landscape, guaranteeing a more sustainable and dependable future for the entire island community,” said William J. (John) Berger, Chief Executive Officer of Sunnova.
LUMA’s CBES initiative is one of many programs the company is launching as part of its “Building a Better Energy Future” initiative to improve customer service, reliability and community safety over the next 12 months.
More information about CBES and LUMA’s renewable energy progress will be discussed at the Solar Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA) conference in San Juan, November 6 through 8.
Customers interested in participating in the CBES pilot are encouraged to visit LUMApr.com for more information, including eligibility requirements and a list of participating renewable energy service providers who will facilitate the enrollment process.
LUMA’s Record of Progress
Since June 2021, LUMA has connected over 71,000 customers to rooftop solar panels, representing more than 451 megawatts of clean, renewable energy for the Puerto Rico grid. With an average pace of over 4,100 new solar connections added every month, LUMA is connecting customers to rooftop solar panels at the highest and fastest rate in the history of Puerto Rico. This record growth of solar and battery storage systems is one of the key reasons LUMA was able to develop its CBES initiative.
About LUMA LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, operates and manages the electric power transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico. LUMA is a company driven by a mission to transform the electrical transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, cleaner, and affordable electrical service they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of more than 4,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
