Puerto Rico: The eco-friendly homes that didn’t lose power after Hurricane Fiona

The eco-friendly homes that didn’t lose power after Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico Story at a glance  Thousands of people in Puerto Rico are still without electricity and clean water after Hurricane Fiona struck the island on Sunday.  The hurricane reached the island’s … Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech The Hill

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Over 1 million homes and businesses in Puerto Rico are still without power after Hurricane Fiona struck the island on Sunday.  

The then category 1 hurricane drenched parts of the island in more than 20 inches of rain causing flash flooding, mudslides and wiping out power across the entire island.  

But there were a few homes that, miraculously, were able to keep the lights on amid the storm — two prototype homes powered by solar energy.  

A New York and Puerto Rico-based nonprofit called the Acacia Network paid to build the homes on land donated by the government and designed by Marvel Architects, according to Fast Company, after Hurricane Maria.  

The homes were built with reinforced walls meant to withstand earthquakes and hurricane winds and include design aspects like natural cross ventilation to help keep the home cool, the outlet reported.  

They are also equipped with solar panels to provide residents with electricity and features to collect and store filtered rainwater so that occupants can live free of the island’s power and water grid.  ...