Globally, more than a billion people count on coffee to power their day. In rural Puerto Rico, USDA Rural Development is helping a small family-owned business power some of that coffee.
Thanks to a $110,240 USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant, Juan Melendez Mulero and Naomi Gomez Robles, owners of Hacienda Tres Ángeles, a 100-acre, 12-year-old coffee plantation located in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, upgraded and expanded their renewable energy system to reliably meet the increased power demands of their growing business which currently produces more than 18,000 pounds of coffee annually.
Specifically, REAP funded the installation of a 38-kW photovoltaic (PV solar) system to help provide stable, reliable renewable energy, something that, according to Naomi Gomez Robles, plagued rural Puerto Rico long before they built their first REAP-funded renewable energy system in 2016.
“We were having power outages in the area pretty frequently, even before Hurricane Maria, which was one of the most impactful situations we had on the island”, said Naomi Gomez Robles. “Afterwards, it just got worse because after Hurricane Maria, we lost all power, and there was no energy, and we were the only ones fortunate enough to have energy because we had our solar system here.”
The system is connected to a battery-backup energy-storage system that replaces 116,743 kWh (102 percent), or enough energy to power ten homes. According to Juan Melendez Mulero, the upgraded system saves them $5,000 a month, which they reinvest in their business, supplementing a 2021 $250,000 grant from USDA Rural Development’s Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.
“It (REAP) is an excellent program,” said Juan Melendez Mulero. “It helps farmers continue, and it's an incredible asset. Everyone should be able to apply because it has helped us continue our operations.”
USDA Rural Development staff, like Edgardo Perez-Rodriguez, Rural Business Services Specialist, are well aware of the benefits of REAP.
“USDA’s REAP provided resilient, reliable, and stable energy service for their operation in the most rural mountains area of PR due to a fragile power grid affected by various natural disasters,” said Edgardo Perez-Rodriguez.
Thanks to REAP and VAPG, Juan and Naomi continue to improve their business by expanding their agricultural products growing plantains, adding a restaurant, enhancing their production efficiency, and increasing their global commerce through more and better marketing.
“I am very proud of my family and our business,” said Juan Melendez Mulero. “We are very grateful for the community relations created throughout our business. We will continue working with USDA Rural Development and other federal agencies to help farmers from around Puerto Rico.”