Aurora solar inverter factory in Puerto-Rico

A contract solar panel assembly facility will soon open in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, that will supply the utility-scale market on the island and hopefully the greater market on the U.S. mainland. Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Credit: U.S. Corps of Engineers

Francisco Berrios Portela, Puerto Rico's chief of energy, agrees that Puerto Rico is becoming a dominant force in the solar industry. “Renewable energy in Puerto Rico is advancing rapidly across multiple fronts. In recent years, the rooftop solar market has seen impressive growth, with an average of over 3,000 installations per month.

A lot of attention is paid to Puerto Rico's residential solar and storage market, but large-scale projects have recently seen a boost of their own. The Dept. of Energy's Loan Programs Office is financing $861 million of a 200-MW solar and 1,140-MWh storage portfolio in the southeast portion of the island.

Solx has signed a 10-year lease with potential extensions on the 150,000-ft 2 building on HP's 65-acre campus. The company is investing $20 million into the facility to get it ready for panel manufacturing. Siting a panel manufacturer in Puerto Rico was always the goal for Solx.

The Jones Act requires all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on U.S.-made ships and crewed by Americans. Puerto Rican solar projects would benefit from buying Solx-made panels and not having to pay extra shipping fees to use other domestic panels from the mainland.