San Juan Allocates $1.73 Million for Solar Batteries for 400 Residents Who Depend on Electrical Medical Equipment

The Municipality of San Juan announced on October 3 an investment of $1,729,935 to acquire and distribute rechargeable solar-powered portable batteries to roughly 400 residents who depend on electrical medical equipment to survive, ranging from portable dialysis machines to oxygen concentrators and electric beds ¹². Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo presented the new phase of the program as a direct response to the vulnerability these families face every time power service is interrupted on the island ³.

Context: not a new problem

This is not the program's first phase. San Juan's Department for Social and Community Development launched the Social Interest Project for Rechargeable Portable Batteries with Solar Technology in February 2023, with an initial $6 million investment that funded the purchase of 3,000 batteries for people with special needs or chronic health conditions enrolled in the San Juan Va Por Ti program ⁴. By that point the program already had more than 1,300 registered participants ⁴. The new $1.73 million delivery announced this week is, according to the municipality, a continuation of that effort, focused on roughly 400 additional people who were evaluated and determined to need a backup power source at home ¹³.

Romero Lugo explained that for someone who depends on electrical medical equipment, a power outage can quickly turn into a health and safety emergency, and that this investment represents concrete help for those who need a backup alternative at home ²³. Francine Sanchez Marcano, director of the Department for Social and Community Development, said the municipality's approach is to identify each participant's individual need and make sure they receive equipment suited to their reality, along with guidance on safe use of the batteries ³.

The numbers

• $1,729,935: total investment in the new phase, announced October 3, 2026 ¹²³.
• Funding sources: $540,000 in CDBG funds, $800,000 in ARPA funds, and $389,935 in CSBG funds ²³.
• Approximately 400 participants will receive batteries in this phase ¹²³.
• The first phase (2023) invested $6 million in 3,000 batteries, and the program grew to more than 1,300 enrollees ⁴.
• Compatible equipment: respiratory machines, CPAP and BPAP devices, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, portable dialysis machines, monitoring and suction equipment, insulin refrigerators, adjustable beds, electric wheelchairs, and mobility scooters ¹²³.
• Each battery's capacity was determined according to the specific medical need and equipment of each participant, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach ³.

What this means for you

If your household includes someone who depends on medical equipment that needs constant electricity (a family member on dialysis, using an oxygen concentrator, a ventilator, or an electric bed) this news matters even if you do not live in San Juan, because it confirms municipalities are channeling federal funds (CDBG, ARPA, CSBG) specifically toward addressing the risk that blackouts pose to patients dependent on medical technology ²³. For San Juan families already enrolled in San Juan Va Por Ti, this delivery could mean finally receiving their battery if they were evaluated and are on the waiting list. For those not yet enrolled, it confirms the program remains active and that it is worth applying before the next distribution phase ¹³⁴.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Confirm you qualify: the program is for San Juan residents with special needs, chronic health conditions, or who use medical assistance equipment to live, or who are bedridden ⁴.
2. Gather your documentation: a medical certification specifying the equipment you use (dialysis, oxygen, CPAP, electric bed, wheelchair, etc.) and proof of San Juan residency ³⁴.
3. Enroll or verify your enrollment in San Juan Va Por Ti through sanjuanvaporti.pr or by emailing [email protected] ⁴.
4. Call the program's lines: (787) 722-1213, 1214, 1215, 1217, or 1219, to ask about your application status or to register if you have not yet done so ⁴.
5. If you are already enrolled, wait for a call from the Department for Social and Community Development for the individual evaluation of your equipment before receiving a battery ³.
6. Attend the safety orientation on correct use and handling of the battery when it is delivered; the municipality requires it before handoff ³.
7. If you do not live in San Juan, ask your own municipality whether a similar program funded with CDBG, ARPA, or CSBG funds exists for people dependent on electrical medical equipment.

What comes next

The municipality has not publicly announced a date for a third distribution phase or a total number of people still waiting within San Juan Va Por Ti. Nor has information been released on whether other municipalities on the island will replicate this federally funded solar-battery model. What is predictable is that demand will keep growing: the fragility of Puerto Rico's power grid keeps thousands of patients dependent on medical technology at risk every time service is interrupted, and programs like this one will be watched closely as a model for other municipalities ²³.