PRECAP
Puerto Rico Energy Capital Access Program
PRECAP
The first clean energy accelerator and capital network in Puerto Rico
Overview
This year, Fundación Borincana initiated the Puerto Rico Energy Capital Access Program (PRECAP) to assist businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities in preparing for and gaining access to capital required to realize their energy infrastructure investment plans. The first year of this program has been funded in part by a Rural Business Development Grant from the USDA. At $395,000 it is the largest grant ever made by the USDA under this program for Puerto Rico and shows tremendous confidence in the Foundation and the urgent need of the program. The grant provides a great runway to establish the program, but limits us on the potential number of LMI communities we can support. We are seeking an additional $1.3-1.5M from the CDBG-DR SBIA grant to grow the scope of the program and extend our operations through 2023.
1
Aim
PRECAP is aimed at serving the spectrum of vulnerable communities who lack economic mobility due to lack of critical infrastructure. By enabling local businesses, non-profits, and municipalities with the resources needed to become electric power startups, we catalyze resilient economic development at the fundamental level. Our unique positioning within the energy project ecosystem allows us to leverage the best of private industry to provide an interdisciplinary and applied education in energy entrepreneurship.
2
Timeline
PRECAP will continue to run through 2020 and work with 10-15 teams on their energy projects over two program sessions. Each program participant will receive individual as well as group training and support by industry experts as they gain experience in the fields of project development, management, due diligence, and financial modeling. By the end of the program session, we expect each team will have updated business and project plans, detailed financial projections, computer assisted solar design, and clear direction on access to capital.
3
Instructors
We have a talented local team as well as world-class instructors to share their experience both virtually and physically. While the ultimate goal of the program is to access and unlock at least $20 million in capital for our cohort participants within 18 months, the primary benefits are to be found in the process and the transfer of knowledge.
José A. Torres Monllor
Managing Partner Monllor Capital Partners LLC / Founder of Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund
Victor Rojas
Senior Manager for Clean Energy Finance at the Environmental Defense Fund
Malu Blázquez
Former Executive Director of Reimagina Puerto Rico
José Humberto Román
Principal of Ximmena LLC. Former Chairman and CEO of the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau
John Ravis
Renewable Energy Finance and Development Advisor
C.P. Smith
Executive Director of la Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña
Gabriel Pérez
Secretary of La Asociación de Contratistas y Consultores de Energía Renovable de Puerto Rico (ACONER)
Edward May
Managing Partner at Energy Intelligence Partners
Jorge Rodríguez
Former Global Head of Infrastructure Debt at Deutsche Bank Group
Solar I.T.
Certification Programs for Clean Energy Industry Professionals
Overview
Solar Information Technology Fundación Borincana is launching the Solar Information Technology Workforce Development and Market Acceleration Program (“SIT Program”) - a program of solar workforce information technology training adapted to Puerto Rico from an existing successful program resulting in a tiered certification structure for Puerto Rican participants. In addition, the skills and capabilities developed will help create an independent, reliable provider of solar and storage system analysis supporting market acceleration.
1
Critical IT Skills Development
Many strong groups are undertaking solar workforce training and more are coming in this CDBG process because solar is a growth industry and Puerto Rico must train a skilled workforce to fill the jobs created and drive economic activity. All these programs are valuable and we support them but none address a critical skills gap - information technology. Successful, scalable, profitable solar companies simply do not operate on spreadsheets and e-mail. Fundación Borincana’s Solar IT Workforce Development Program will assist individuals attain critical high-grade skills with certificated mastery of an industry leading solar software platform.
2
Software Partner: Enact Systems Inc. ("ENACT")
ENACT is a multi-user, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed to automate the sales and project management processes for the solar and energy storage industry. ENACT’s platform reduces installed costs and promotes network effects by enabling contractors, financiers and OEMs, for single and multiple product categories, to collaborate within the same workflow and financing engine, now made possible by cloud-based technology and advances in financing methodologies. This reduces customer acquisition, sales transaction and operational costs while creating new revenue opportunities for platform users and greatly expanding the addressable market. ENACT’s core platform – ENVISION - is now being used by over 2000+ paying solar companies in over 30 US States and 13 countries, offering a data-driven SaaS platform to improve sales process and workflow efficiency.
Solar IT Course
Duration
Certification
Start Date
8 weeks
3 Certification Levels
August 23rd
Develop Crucial IT Skills
Fundación Borincana's Solar IT Workforce Development Program will assist individuals to attain critical high-grade skills with certificated mastery of an industry leading solar software platform.
Design Software
ENACT is a multi-user, software-as-service (SaaS) platform designated to automate the sales and project management processes for the solar and energy storage industry. ENACT's core platform - ENVISION - is now being used by over 2000+ paying solar companies in over 30 US States and 13 countries.
Tiered Certifications
Blue Belt -
Basic Design/Sales
Green Belt -
Battery Storage Design
Red Belt -
Operations 1
Benefits to students
Gain useful skills and understanding of the solar industry such as:
-
Learn to create solar designs on software
-
Learn to design systems in multiple global jurisdictions and gain exposure on regulation, rate design, costing and equipment pricing
-
Design detailed company operational process flows
Candidate Requirements
-
Live in Puerto Rico
-
Educational Requirements (must fulfill 1):
-
Associates or Undergraduate Degree
-
Active student in Junior or Senior Yr
-
Worked for 2 years in Solar Industry
Employment Opportunity
Grupo Analítica Solar Independiente (Grupo ASI) will provide solar design, analysis, information, consulting and support to homeowners and businesses across Puerto Rico. Graduates from the Solar IT certification program will have the opportunity to be employed by Grupo ASI.
Placement Support
Graduates will be assisted by the growing global network of Enact Systems who need qualified, bilingual staff.
GRUPO ASI
Market development through independent data driven analysis
Overview
Grupo Analítica Solar Independiente (Grupo ASI) offers market development through independent data driven analysis and assistance to consumers. Every market needs to continuously renew the skills of its workforce but most workforce programs either rely on permanent subsidy or shut down. Fundación Borincana will harness the skills and industry of some of our Solar IT graduates to create Grupo ASI - Analítica Solar Independiente (Grupo ASI), an independent, reliable, third party provider of solar and storage analysis - a key market enabler and accelerator - and a business capable of growing its revenues to support and sustain our training program long-term without continuous subsidy.
1
Sustainable Market Accelerator
Staff will work with businesses and residents to support their understanding of distributed solar and storage systems and provide analytical reports on design and cost.
300 to 500
small businesses supported with design, analysis and advice
System Analysis
Sample Proposal
*opportunity for rapid expansion including residential
.png)
2
Market Knowledge Generation
Fundación Borincana will place more than 100 meters in the market to generate reliable data on demand and usage profiles. Attacks lack of market knowledge and transparency to squeeze soft costs and generate reliable data to support development of market financing and service offerings.
REWIRE
Collaborating on Energy Transformation
Overview
Puerto Rico's new regulatory regime will be this first in the world to manage the transformation from a traditional vertical utility, central generation model to a distributed "prosumer" model. This is a keystone area that can facilitate or hinder successful recovery and transformation, and serve to lift hundreds of thousands out of poverty.
Puerto Rico has the privilege and the responsibility to rewrite the utility regulatory handbook for the 21st century. There are some examples and road maps for part of what must be done but zero precedents for the direction in which Puerto Rico must and will move. It needs consistently thoughtful, pragmatic, and innovative voices to help it along the way. Fundación Borincana will be one of those voices and is working with other groups in this important endeavor.
Radio Program - Buenos Días con Energía
Our Podcast and radio program "Buenos días con energía" is a meeting space where we will listen to the story and future of the energy transformation of Puerto Rico from its protagonists. The podcast will be aired on radio stations from the west and center of the island Radio 93 from Lares and Aguadilla's ... In our first season we will explore how energy projects are managed around the Puerto Rican archipelago.
13
Episodes
all in Spanish language, discussing the story and future of the energy transformation of Puerto Rico through its protagonists
2
Seasons
with a variety of topics ranging from community resilience projects, disaster recovery and preparedness and education
306
Minutes
of audio from dozens of guests tailored for a variety of audiences throughout the islands
PACE
Property Assessed Clean Energy
Gaining PACE in Puerto Rico
The Foundation has established it´s first working group dubbed "Gaining Pace in Puerto Rico" and are seeking to fund an ongoing effort to pursue enabling legislation and the establishment of a Program Administrator.
Innovative Financing Structure
Property Assessed Clean Energy (or PACE) is an innovative financing structure that makes it possible for owners of commercial, industrial, and residential properties to attain low-cost long-term financing for energy efficiency, water conservation, hurricane preparedness, renewable energy projects, and other resiliency measured based on the needs of the relevant jurisdiction.
Pace authorizes property taxing authorities to work with private capital providers to provide upfront financing to property owners for qualifying improvement projects and to collect the repayment periodically through the property's tax bill. This is fundamentally the same municipal finance mechanism used to fund public goods (like roads, sewers, and even stadiums!) for a private purpose.
Financing terms extend up to 30 years in some jurisdictions based on the types of improvements, usually cover 100% of improvement cost, result in a utility and other cost savings that typically exceed the amount of the assessed periodic payment, and generally lead to an increase in the market value of the property.
Pace legislation has been adopted in 35 states and the District of Columbia and is now available in more than 1000 municipalities across the United States. PACE can be a useful part of capital accumulation for investment in the energy improvement and resiliency of Puerto Rico's commercial and residential property.