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Puerto Rico LightReach Energy Plans: Overview

This addendum outlines Puerto Rico Main Line requirements with links to full KB articles.

Maurizio - PLR Product Ops avatar
Written by Maurizio - PLR Product Ops
Updated over 2 weeks ago

This article is intended to address the delineation between the guidelines enforced in the “Department of Energy - Solar Access Program” and the standard Palmetto LightReach Financial Offering (Main Line) Program.

How to tell the programs apart in the Knowledge Base?

  • Articles for the Puerto Rico Main Line program are labeled with the prefix “PR:”

  • Articles for the DOE Solar Access Program are labeled with the prefix “DOE:”

Please review this article carefully, as failure to comply with these requirements may result in incorrect projections and potential disqualification / cancellation.

Main areas of note:

  • Sales and NTP (M0) Milestone Requirements

  • Site Eligibility, Approved Vendor List, and Electrical Adders

  • Installation (M1) Milestone Submissions

Palmetto LightReach follows a "Freedom within the Framework" approach. Installers are responsible to comply with our policies at help.palmetto.finance at all times.

As the sales process is no longer handled by the DOE, the following requirements must be completed in the Palmetto LightReach portal.

NTP Requirements

Sales requirements are similar with the Solar Access Program requirements except in the following ways:

  • There is no “Terms & Conditions” form for the Main Line program

  • Title check is required

  • Credit check is required

    • 700 FICO Credit Score (Highest Score: Transunion and Equifax)

    • No bankruptcies (7-Year Lookback)

Backup Battery Required

  • All projects are required a minimum battery size of 10kWh

Back Up Battery NOT PRICED SEPARATE from Solar

  • A customer PPA rate will include the solar and backup battery (one rate/one monthly payment). There will not be a separate line for the battery pricing.

  • The EPC $/W rate will assume that backup battery is already priced into the deal

Recheck Verification

  • To complete NTP, all sales reps must verify their identity via ReCheck:

  • Register at recheck.co/signup

  • At point of sale, an automatic email will be sent to the sales rep listed on the account

  • Once the verification is completed in Recheck, the sales rep information is saved in the portal and the "sales rep verification" status will be updated to completed on all future LightReach sales.

Site Eligibility, Approved Vendor List, and Electrical Adders

There are significant differences in the Scope of Work between the DOE and Main Line programs that must be reviewed prior to starting installation on Main Line Puerto Rico projects.

Puerto Rico Main Line Approved Vendor List

Please review the list below and reference the Approved Vendor List from the standard program to confirm materials approved for use in the Puerto Rico program.

Equipment Type

Mainline Program

DOE Program

Solar Modules

All modules acceptable in the Main Line Program are listed in the standard AVL.

  • EXCEPT modules that require Pre-Approval (Mission, SEG)

See the DOE AVL

Inverter

All Enphase & Tesla Inverter models listed in the standard AVL

Generac - See the DOE AVL for SKUs

Mounting & Racking

All Procurable Racking Types

  • All flat roof attachments require secondary waterproofing (E-Curbs) or integrated waterproofing

Ironridge - See the DOE AVL for SKUs

S-5! - See the DOE AVL for SKUs

Battery / Storage

All Enphase & Tesla Battery models listed in the standard AVL

  • ONLY Enphase with the initial rollout of program

    • Palmetto LightReach will add additional models in the future

Generac - See the DOE AVL

Electrical Adders

It is critical to know where the Main Line Program does not align with the DOE program and how this is represented in the Electrical Adders Section.

  • For all intents and purposes the definitions outlined in the PR: Solar Ready Repairs in the DOE article - MUST PERFORM and MAY PERFORM are suspended as the entire home system is considered to be Within the Circuit Path.
    ​

    • Some of the main considerations to be aware of:
      ​

      • Section A - All electrical adders must be directly related to facilitating the installation of PV or PV + Battery installation and included with the Quote Generation.

      • Section B - Panels ANYWHERE in the home interacting with the PV + Battery Installation require remediation.

      • Section D - Any conditions within the home related to hazardous or unsafe conditions are required to be addressed as part of the installation
        ​

  • The Puerto Rico Main Line program requires adherence to the Electrical Conditions & Adders Article as there are standards and limitations on pricing as opposed to the practices within the DOE - Solar Access Program.

Main Line Program

DOE Program

Electrical Adders (Solar Ready Repair)

  • Adder Price point for projects that need qualified upgrades, no DQ Limit on adders

Prohibited Electrical Panels

  • Interconnection (upstream or downstream) of any DQ panel types is prohibited under LightReach policy.

  • Utility Connection Exceptions made:

    • Disconnect Height, Enclosure Position/condition, and Internal Rework

Electrical Conditions

  • If any of the conditions mentioned above are met, replacement is required.

  • Requirements for electrical issues are expanded

Electrical Adders (Solar Ready Repair)

  • Limited to $3000, tracked and reimbursed as part of the program.

Prohibited Electrical Panels

  • Upgrades are ONLY required if In Circuit

  • Utility Connection Exceptions made:

    • Disconnect Height, Enclosure Position/condition, and Internal Rework

Electrical Conditions

  • In Circuit & Out of Circuit definition consolidated work to the system being installed

  • EXCEPTING overall safety concerns.

Eligible Sites

For the Main Line program, the site eligibility has expanded to include additional roof types, however, projects are subject to expanded scrutiny and quality standards.

Please review closely the Eligible Site article and direct your attention to the key differences mention in the following sections:

  • Section B - Eligible Roof Types now include a variety of pitched and flat roof types, BUT these additional types include updated quality standards.

  • Section C - Eligible Home Types/Mounting Structures are still limited to Single Family Homes with full ownership and no shared portions of the structures.

  • Section E - Second Systems and Add Ons are strictly prohibited.

Failure to closely adhere to the expanded guidelines in the Main Line Program will result in a disqualification of projects.

Main Line Program

DOE Program

Roof Types

  • Pitched Roof

    • Concrete / Cement Tile

    • Comp-out/composition insert of a clay tile roof area

  • Flat Roof

    • All flat roof attachments require secondary waterproofing (E-Curbs) or integrated waterproofing

Roof Quality

  • Ponding in areas of installation is prohibited and results in project DQ

  • Older Concrete Surfaces (cracking and crazing) are Disqualified

Second Systems and Add Ons

  • Strictly prohibited.

Roof Types

  • Flat Roof

    • EPDM

    • Modified Bitumen (ModBit)

    • Rolled Asphalt/Composite

    • Concrete (Exposed or Coated)

  • Pitched Roof

    • Asphalt Shingle

    • Metal - Corrugated or Standing Seam

Roof Quality

  • Some Degree of Ponding is allowable

  • Older Concrete Surfaces

Approved Structure Types

  • Residential, Single Family Homes

  • Detached Garage / Guest Suite

Design Package | Inputs and Deliverables

For the full list of design deliverables, please refer to the standard LightReach KB article.

The article link has the approved design platforms for the Puerto Rico LightReach Program. Each platform has specific deliverables that must be provided based on system settings.

Failure to follow design requirements, or intentional misuse of modeling criteria to artificially impact homeowner value propositions, may result in the termination of access to the LightReach product.

Install (M1) Photo Documentation

The expanded list of installation photo deliverables associated with the DOE Solar Access Program will be maintained, however, it should be noted that there are additional requirements based on specific manufacturers.

For the complete list of photo deliverables, see the standard Install (M1) Photo Documentation article.

Monitoring Portal Access

There are strict deliverables related to Monitoring access that vary significantly by platform. Please reference the Enphase and Tesla sections in the Monitoring Portal Access (M1) article from the standard knowledge base.

Key Deliverables are to ensure that PVE System Maintainer is granted at time of submission.

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