By The Star Staff
LUMA launched its Customer Battery Energy Exchange (CBES) initiative on Thursday to provide participating solar customers with battery energy storage systems to increase grid stability.
It is a battery-powered emergency demand response program that will help improve service reliability for the entity’s 1.5 million customers in Puerto Rico. Through the program, the battery systems will help increase energy reserves during periods of highest demand to reduce service interruptions caused by insufficient generation.
Renewable energy companies will activate the batteries of customers enrolled in the CBES when necessary to supply energy to the grid to reduce energy demand and improve system reliability.
“LUMA’s new CBES initiative is another important resource that will assist us in our continued work to improve system reliability for our customers islandwide,” LUMA CEO Juan Saca said. “This initiative will help us face the challenge of always maintaining the balance between energy demand and supply and minimize the impact of service interruptions caused by constant generation shortages.”
“We are proud to collaborate with leading renewable energy companies and participating solar energy customers to improve service reliability for everyone in Puerto Rico,” Saca said.
LUMA will work collaboratively with renewable energy companies to manage the program and enrollment process, including Sunnova Energy International Inc. (Sunnova), the first company to join the CBES initiative. Additionally, other renewable energy companies, including Fortress Power, Sunrun and Tesla, have joined the program. The companies will contact their qualified customers to invite them to enroll in the initial phase of the pilot program.
Customers who participate in the program will be compensated by their renewable energy company based on the energy contributions they make through their batteries.
“As a leading residential solar and battery energy storage company in Puerto Rico, Sunnova is proud to collaborate with LUMA through this innovative energy solution,” said William J. Berger, president and CEO of Sunnova. “We firmly believe that the initiative will not only improve Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, but participating customers will also be recognized and rewarded for their valuable contribution. The implementation of these programs is crucial to transforming Puerto Rico’s electricity sector.”
“This will ensure a more sustainable and reliable future for all communities on the island,” Berger added.
LUMA’s CBES initiative is one of many programs the company is launching as part of its “Building a Better Energy Future” initiative. The goal is to improve customer service, reliability and safety in communities over the next 12 months.
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