ASCO Power Technologies Contributes to a Microgrid Solution for a Children’s Home in Puerto Rico

• The children’s home needed a solution for the site’s frequent power outages.
• Engineers without Borders worked with Affiliated Engineers, Inc. to design a microgrid power solution.
• ASCO Power Technologies provided expertise and donated Automatic Transfer Switches for the project.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Before 2017, the Hogar Albergue para Niños Jesús de Nazaret children’s home in Puerto Rico had routinely experienced power outages following storms. After Hurricane Maria, the facility was without power for months. Clearly, the staff and children at the facility needed a reliable solution for backup power. ASCO Power Technologies’ newest Case Study shows how a team of experts developed a microgrid to meet the challenge.

Located on a rural mountain top, Hogar Albergue para Niños Jesús de Nazaret serves as a home and school for neglected children up to 11 years of age. The case study describes how students from Engineers without Borders collaborated with Affiliated Engineers, Inc. ASCO Power Technologies, and others to design a microgrid power system that could be supplied by the normal utility source, operate independently using photovoltaic panels and storage batteries, or utilize backup power from an on-site generator.

The project team began work in 2018, and the microgrid equipment was installed and ready for startup in the Autumn of 2020. To complete the project, the team specified a list of microgrid and critical power equipment that included inverters from Schneider Electric and SERIES 300 Automatic Transfer Switches donated by ASCO. The new Case Study explains how the project was successfully implemented by the students and the rest of the team, and how the facility is now more resilient to extreme weather events, including the seasonal hurricanes that affect its region. The facility can now operate for up to 12 hours on stored energy from a renewable source and can run continuously on a diesel generator for extended outages.

This is a “feel good” story with a great ending. “Not only was an innovative design implemented between the inverters and two-ATS combination,” says mentor Alberto G. Cordero, PE, of Affiliated Engineers. “But the collaborative spirit of all the professionals and students was inspiring and an example to follow. The Hogar’s staff and children report nothing but many thanks and appreciation.”

For its part, ASCO is proud to have helped the children’s home continue its important mission. More information about the challenge, the solution, and the outcome is available on the ASCO Power Technologies website.

Read the Case Study here: https://www.ascopower.com/us/en/download/document/asc-cs-ats-microgridPR/

About ASCO Power Technologies

ASCO Power Technologies has provided power reliability solutions for more than 125 years. The firm designs, manufactures, services, and supports automatic transfer switches, power control equipment, load banks, and critical power management systems. ASCO products serve mission-critical functions in data centers, healthcare facilities, telecommunication networks, commercial buildings, and industrial operations. To learn more about any of ASCO’s premium products and services, call (800) 800 ASCO (2726), email [e-mail], or visit www.ascopower.com.