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Sunnova powers more than 50,000 in Puerto Rico through Ernesto

Sunnova powers more than 50,000 in Puerto Rico through Ernesto

Another inclement weather event, another testament to the utility of virtual power plants!

Sunnova Energy International announced today that it powered more than 54,500 customers in Puerto Rico during and after Tropical Storm Ernesto from August 13 to August 19. During the storm, local utility grids were unable to deliver power to approximately half of the residents on the island; in that seven day span, Sunnova solar + storage customers generated 8.05 GWh of energy.

“Keeping the lights on for over 54,500 Puerto Rican customers who lost grid power this month shows the tremendous value of our solar + storage systems,” said William J. (John) Berger, president and chief executive officer at Sunnova. “Nearly half of the Island was without power after the most recent storm, and at such critical and vulnerable times like this, we had the capability to deliver when the local utilities could not. By powering all of these customers in Puerto Rico, we are demonstrating the true power of solar + storage to protect our customers and their communities, and to live life uninterrupted. Our systems protect homeowners and provide peace of mind with clean, resilient power that comes backed by the best service in the industry.”

Sunnova reports about 98.5% of its SunSafe systems in Puerto Rico were undamaged by Ernesto. Sunnova says it sent technician crews out to repair those that did take a hit, performing repairs just hours after the storm struck.

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“Once more, the durability and dependability of Sunnova’s solar + storage systems were battle-tested by another major storm and proved to be an excellent source of reliable electricity,” said Paul Mathews, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Sunnova. “It is unfortunate that so many of our customers have dealt with severe weather this summer, but it’s clear that going through storms with Sunnova service provides customers increased resiliency and reliable off-grid power. We are here for the long haul and as demonstrated with our rapid response, our customers can count on us when it matters most. I couldn’t be more proud of our Service teams and their response in Puerto Rico.”

Sunnova is getting used to making positive headlines in the wake of natural disasters. The company’s solar and storage solutions powered more than 5,500 customers across a four-state region during and after Hurricane Debby from August 5 to August 12. Last month, Sunnova reported similar success after it powered the homes of nearly 3,000 customers in the Houston area during and after Hurricane Beryl, which knocked out power to nearly three million utility customers. When Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico in September 2022, Sunnova said its SunSafe solar + storage systems generated nearly 2 GWh of energy in the first two weeks after the storm. Systems provided a combined 3.4 million hours of backup power for solar + storage customers, with an average of 128 hours of power generated per household.

Sunnova is also collaborating with Tenet Energy to accelerate the adoption of solar energy and electric vehicles, offering exclusive promotions encouraging Sunnova customers to purchase an EV with Tenet’s financing options and Tenet customers to adopt Sunnova’s solar energy systems. By using solar panels to charge electric vehicles, homeowners can achieve significant cost savings that amount to potentially hundreds of dollars annually on their electric bills.