More than 10% of electricity consumption in PR comes from rooftop solar

More than 10% of electricity consumption in Puerto Rico now comes from rooftop solar power, according to a new report, a finding that indicates a significant increase in the use of distributed solar energy as a replacement for electricity from the centralized grid.

By THE STAR STAFF

More than 10% of electricity consumption in Puerto Rico now comes from rooftop solar power, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

The finding indicates a significant increase in the use of distributed solar energy as a replacement for electricity from the centralized grid, the IEEFA said.

As of June of this year, data from the private grid operator LUMA Energy reveals that some 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of residential and commercial rooftop solar systems have been installed under Puerto Rico’s net metering regulations. IEEFA estimates that the rooftop systems will generate over 1.8 GW-hours of electricity annually.

Based on LUMA’s estimated sales for fiscal year 2025 and net metering export data, IEEFA suggests that the commercial and residential rooftop installations account for about 10.3% of the total electricity consumption in Puerto Rico. It is important to note that the statistics do not include off-grid systems, meaning the actual contribution of solar energy on the island is likely even greater, the report said.

The persistent unreliability of the grid and the threat of another catastrophic power outage, similar to the one caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, are significant factors behind the installations. The reliability of the grid has deteriorated in recent years, with frequency and duration metrics for transmission and distribution outages worsening from fiscal years 2023 to 2025; the figures are considerably worse than the U.S. average, the IEEFA reported.

As a result, approximately 83% of residential and commercial rooftop solar systems are equipped with battery storage to ensure they can continue providing electricity during blackouts.