Sustainable Development Plan with Solar & Biomass Adaptation for Parador Villa Sotomayor

Abstract

Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria five years ago, and even now the much of the island’s population experiences sporadic power outages. After the privatization of Puerto Rico’s energy distribution, the power security of Puerto Rico only exacerbated. Local communities in the town of Adjuntas and a local non-profit organization Casa Pueblo are exploring different technologies in hopes to achieve energy resilience. Excess biomass, a common side product from local agriculture activities, can generate carbon neutral energy through the aide of nextgeneration gasifiers. This can potentially reduce the cost of maintaining a stable microgrid while increasing community autonomy and sustainability. The main task of this project is to create a development plan for Parador Villa Sotomayor, a resort in Adjuntas, including an energy model and improvement of their tourism experience. This work aims to illuminate pathways toward improved quality of life and sustainability, not only for Parador Villa Sotomayor but also for other similar regions in the Caribbean.