The Network for the Rights of Children and Youth will have a stable energy source to serve its community in Casa Ramón in Juncos.
San Juan | Tuesday, November 22, 2022 | The Network for Children's and Youth Rights of Puerto Rico signed a loan yesterday with the Community Investment Fund (FIC) of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR) which will allow you, along with a donation from the philanthropic initiative known as CERI (Community Energy Resilience Initiative – CERI (Community Energy Resilience Initiative), to have access to a solar microgrid with storage to maintain the uninterrupted operation of Casa Ramón in Juncos, an independent living program for vulnerable youth. This demonstrates the growth of the non-profit sector, which not only relies on donations for its future sustainability but also opens doors in the financing sector to own its own energy source.
Access to combined sources for energy access is part of a pioneering initiative in the Caribbean, which seeks to boost energy resilience in critical facilities in Puerto Rico. It is integrated by the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR), Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) y Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The Network for the Rights of Children and Youth joins the group of three critical facilities that are part of the first group of pilot projects to achieve access to a solar microgrid with storage through CERI, making them community resilience centers, as announced last June – a fifth facility is in the process of signing a loan.
The solar system will guarantee Casa Ramón the uninterrupted continuation of its operations, as well as its alternative services and programs for young people aged 18-24, with a special focus on young people with children, LGBTQ youth, and youth who have aged out of the Department of Family's child protective system.
“For me, this is an important moment not only because we achieved something that was in our master plan seven years ago, which was solar energy, but because it's a different way for organizations and the Foundation to relate to each other. Relating to each other from this position puts us in a better place. We are not with our hand out, just as we don't want communities to have their hands out. So, being able to have a combination of a donation with a loan provides us with a different relationship, and that makes me very happy,” said Marcos Santana Andújar, president of the Network.
Meanwhile, the president and chief executive officer of the FCPR, Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats, highlighted that the FCPR's theoretical framework, which facilitates Access, Possession, and Management (ATM) of resources, is being executed with this initiative. “We see our ATM approach very reflected in the Network, and I believe it will be an example for all of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, by achieving these three elements,” he said. He added that “this project is part of the Community Foundation's vision that critical facilities and less-resourced, more vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico have access to energy.”.
To date, CERI has worked with five critical facilities in the municipalities of Arecibo, Utuado, Patillas, Juncos, and Jayuya. The cost of the systems purchased or to be purchased ranges from $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the amount of power the facility needs to remain operational without interruption. In the case of the Grid, the system consists of 32.4 kilowatts of solar power (solar panels) and 15 kilowatts of storage (inverters and batteries). The grant covers the initial down payment for the project to purchase and install the equipment, which enables financing with affordable repayment terms.
One of the key benefits of this model is that it reduces the financial burden of acquiring the micro-network, as the grant does not require a financial return for repayment and combines with the network’s existing revenue streams to expand its reach. Additionally, the opportunity to secure financing through the FIC adds to the benefits of this initiative, as this innovative FCPR financing program offers low interest rates, accessible repayment terms, counseling, and support. Since its launch, the FIC has granted more than $1.8 million in financing to 15 nonprofit organizations, contributing to the creation of over 175 jobs in ten towns. In this particular case, it enables the economic affordability of energy production and consumption.
Furthermore, by switching energy sources—from the central grid to clean, reliable renewable/solar energy—the Network expects to generate savings of up to 20% on current energy costs, savings that can be redirected toward other priorities and services for the community. It will also participate in the net metering program operated by LUMA/PREPA, which will allow it to generate a credit for the surplus energy produced.
During the contract signing at the FCPR headquarters in Santurce, also present were Fernando Santiago Cruz, Chief Financial Officer of the Network; and Attorney Reinaldo Otero, Adjunct Professor at the UPR School of Law's Notarial Law Clinic, an entity that has collaborated with the FIC since its inception by offering free legal services to the community. Also present were David Haddock, Vice President of Programs and Administration at the FCPR; Emmanuel Alvarado, FIC Officer; Juan Javier Rivera, Leader of Special Projects at the FCPR; and Sue Ling, CERI Project Contractor.
The FCPR seeks to replicate a similar opportunity from combined sources for critical facilities to access renewable energy, and furthermore, calls on investors to contribute to the FIC to continue expanding access to financing for our communities.
Photo caption: From left, David Haddock, Vice President of Program and Administration of the FCPR; Attorney Reinaldo Otero, adjunct professor at the UPR School of Law's Notarial Law Clinic; Emmanuel Alvarado, FIC officer; Dr. Nelson Colón Tarrats, President of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation; Marcos Santana Andújar, President of the Puerto Rico Network for the Rights of Children and Youth; Emibell Chong of the Network; Sue Ling, CERI Project contractor; and Juan Javier Rivera, Special Projects Leader of the FCPR. In the back, Sherezada Rojas Rodríguez of the Network, and Fernando Santiago Cruz, Chief Financial Officer of the Network.
About the Puerto Rico Community Foundation It is a philanthropic organization with 37 years of experience collaborating with donors and communities. It is the first of its kind in the Caribbean and Latin America and the only one of its kind in Puerto Rico. It is recognized as a 1101.1 organization under the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code and as a 501(c)(3) organization under the Federal Internal Revenue Code. The programmatic area focuses on initiatives in water, renewable energy, economic development, education, racial equity, and others.