Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Oasis: Enhancing Disaster Relief and Recovery Efforts Through a Renewable Energy Microgrid in the University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez Campus

With the global rise in temperatures fueling an increase in SWEs (SWE) such as hurricanes, many islands around the world who lie in their path are seeking alternatives to their frequently outdated grid systems. These are often composed of dated infrastructure prone to damage during such events that leaves the dependent population without power for extended periods of time. In parallel to this increasingly common problem is the growing transition from centralized grids towards decentralized microgrids largely powered by Renewable Energy Sources (RES). This thesis researches a potential RES microgrid for the University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez campus and analyzes its potential impact on disaster relief and recovery efforts for the surrounding community. The study is divided into two sections. First, a microgrid design suitable for the campus in Puerto Rico is proposed using only RES available within the campus boundaries. The recommended design is selected based on its ability to minimize the campus’s dependence on the island’s grid using the lowest cost and most sustainable design. And lastly, using the selected system, the study further analyzes the potential for this microgrid to enhance disaster relief and recovery efforts for the surrounding community after SWEs by operating as an Energy Oasis. This impact is measured by estimating the population size served and for how long the system can support these relief efforts. The services focused on for the Oasis operation are medical services, water purification, meal preparation, and telecommunications. Additionally, a unique measurement of a microgrid’s effectiveness as an EO is proposed within the study to provide comparison between microgrids operating in a similar fashion in any location around the world. The selected microgrid consists of 2.6-MW of PV panels, 3-MW of onshore wind turbines, and a 750-kW vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) system. The system achieves a renewable fraction of 90.8% at an LCOE of 0.053 $/kWh over a 20-year period, under 20% of the current cost of electricity from the island grid. A variety of other designs consistently yield renewable fractions over 88% at similar costs. Using a tiered system of strategic load shedding across the campus during Oasis operation, the recommended microgrid can serve between 735 to 4,951 people depending on the load shedding profile and the service provided every day it is in operation. The results and subsequent analyses indicate that investment into a microgrid system can significantly reduce dependence on the Puerto Rican grid and provide significant savings in utilities over the course of the project. From a social perspective, the inclusion of a microgrid into a community can significantly improve the quantity and effectiveness of disaster relief efforts. Further analysis and field trials of microgrids operated as Energy Oases will yield invaluable information on how disaster relief and recovery can be positively influenced.