Eaton received the 2024 International Energy Project of the Year award from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) for helping develop Puerto Rico’s largest clean energy microgrid at its manufacturing plant in Arecibo, substantially reducing the facility’s carbon footprint, boosting energy resilience and bolstering community infrastructure.
Eaton senior global energy manager Richard Gorzé will also be named an AEE fellow member. The recognition highlights his contributions to the association and the energy industry. Gorzé accepted the International Energy Project of the Year award and the AEE Fellow honor at the 2024 AEE World Energy Conference & Expo.
“The ability to generate sustainable, resilient and affordable power is essential to ensure a stronger future for communities and businesses around the world,” said Gorzé. “I’m honored to be recognized for our pioneering project, marking a substantial advancement in energy resilience and sustainability.”
Built-in collaboration with Enel North America, the clean energy project at Eaton’s Arecibo manufacturing facility is expected to generate more than 9,000 MW of renewable power annually. It incorporates 5 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, approximately 1.1 MW of battery storage and existing on-site generators. The project enables the facility, which produces circuit breakers used in residential, commercial and industrial applications, to operate utilizing 55% of consumption as renewable energy and a yearly decrease in emissions by approximately 7,100 metric tons.
Eaton’s Arecibo microgrid is also designed to withstand Category 5 strength hurricane-force winds and provides added value in normal grid-connected operations by generating renewable energy that can be consumed, stored and delivered back to the local grid. Following the success of the project, Eaton and Enel North America are developing a second microgrid at Eaton’s Las Piedras manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico.
Igor Stamenkovic, senior vice president and general manager of Eaton’s electrical engineering services and systems team, delivered a keynote focused on sustainable infrastructure strategies during the Reuters Industrial Decarbonization North America 2024 event in Pittsburgh on October 1.
