DEPCOM Power has introduced Ciro One, Puerto Rico’s largest solar and battery energy storage system (BESS).
“We are honored to join our partners on this landmark project for Puerto Rico,” says DEPCOM CEO Johnnie Taul. “Ciro One illustrates DEPCOM’s strengths in merging large-scale solar deployment, advanced BESS expertise and integrated EPC and O&M services; building critical infrastructure for the community’s energy future.”
Ciro One’s BESS will integrate a lithium-titanate oxide battery, which delivers higher cycling power and lower degradation than more commonly used lithium iron phosphate technology, says the company.
The PV system, designed to withstand hurricane-force winds, will feature a lower panel tilt angle and east/west row orientation. The inverter technology includes salt fog filters to mitigate the effects of salinity on the system’s power electronics.
As a pilot site for agrovoltaics, Ciro One will use one of the PV arrays for demonstration and scalability for future implementation, and use sheep to manage fast growing vegetation. Additionally, DEPCOM has developed a solution to keep the system safe in the event the grid goes down, by connecting the BESS to a PV array for power supply instead of using diesel generators.
The project is expected to produce enough energy to power 60,000 typical Puerto Rican homes, says DEPCOM, marking a step toward meeting Puerto Rico’s mandate of generating 100% of its electricity needs with renewable resources by 2050.
“This project will strengthen our island’s energy network at a scale that gets us closer to meeting our renewable goals,” says Ciro Energy Group president Mario Tomasini. “At the same time, we are maximizing the site’s potential through a multi-use approach, integrating vital agriculture with solar power generation.”
DEPCOM will manage the installation of the 90 MW PV and 51.5 MW BESS facilities alongside developer partner Ciro Energy Group and local subcontractor Lord Construction. DEPCOM will also operate and maintain the hybrid system for a five-year period.
The system, located in Salinas, is expected to begin operation by the end of next year.
