The goal of this project is to enhance research and education capacity at El Verde Field Station (EVFS) via installation of a solar system and batteries for self-sufficient energy generation. EVFS is located in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. It is administered by the University of Puerto Rico and is one the principal sites of the Luquillo Long-term Ecological Research Program. The station is an essential resource for scientists, staff, and students from Puerto Rico and the United States who rely on EVFS for safe, hospitable, and affordable lodging, direct access to remote field sites, and the use of specialized equipment to accomplish their research and education objectives. It serves as a hands-on training center for students at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, contributing to a globally competitive and diverse STEM workforce. EVFS has been without reliable electricity since Hurricanes Irma and Maria knocked out the electric grid in September 2017, functioning since then in a reduced capacity on generator power. Installing a solar system and batteries will result in site-based power generation and storage to meet the electricity needs of EVFS’ facilities. This will ensure the continuation of critical research and education projects and enable new lines of scientific inquiry in the field of tropical forest ecology. The solar infrastructure will also make for a more self-sustaining station that is resilient to future power outages and demonstrate how sustainable electricity generation can support and advance publicly funded ecological science.
The project involves installation of a 73.35 kW DC / 56.887 kW AC solar system and 224 kWhr of battery storage at EVFS that will provide up to 73% of annual electricity needs including all essential office, laboratory, and dormitory equipment. It will be integrated with the existing electric infrastructure so that there is redundancy in electricity generation and the station is buffered from large-scale disturbances such as hurricanes. The panels will be mounted on the roofs of several existing structures at the station, which will require installation of a standing seam roof and repair of an interior ceiling in one building. Batteries, inverters, and associated hardware will be located in a new storage room built for this purpose. Funding will cover costs for a shade study and integrated electrical assessment, engineering designs for the roof and storage room, environmental assessment, clearing and grubbing, construction of the roof and storage room, installation of the solar system, purchase of energy efficient appliances, and purchase of a digital display for communication with visitors about project and real-time energy generation. The completed solar system will be maintained by UPR staff and will support and enhance ecological research and education in Puerto Rico for current and future generations. This award by the Division of Biological Infrastructure is jointly supported by the Division of Environmental Biology LTER program.
This award reflects NSF’s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation’s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
