Solar Power & Smart Design: Solving the Energy Challenge at Fifteenand9Main
Written by the Team at Fifteenand9Main
Electricity in the USVI is expensive and prone to interruptions. We wanted to stabilize energy costs and improve resilience without compromising our building's architecture or violating preservation guidelines. That meant finding a solution that was practical, respectful, and hurricane-ready.
How Fifteenand9Main installed solar on a historic Charlotte Amalie property — a case study showing feasibility, partners, and lessons learned.
When you're renovating a historic property in the Caribbean, you want to know if solar is feasible — so you can reduce long-term costs, avoid outages, and stay true to the character of the building. Here's how we approached it at Fifteenand9Main.
We recently installed a 25.52 kW photovoltaic (PV) system at our historic property in Charlotte Amalie. This post shares why we did it, who we worked with, and what we learned from the process — especially for others navigating the same questions we had at the start. The system now powers the furnished apartments for rent in Charlotte Amalie at Fifteenand9Main.
Who We Worked With
We partnered with Electric Factory Energy USVI, LLC. Their team understood both island conditions and permitting challenges. They helped us shape a system design that could meet our energy goals and fit our rooftop footprint without drawing attention from the street.
How the Installation Went
Island logistics can be tough, but we worked closely with the engineering team to schedule around shipping timelines and permit windows. The final system includes rooftop panels, energy storage, and controls that prioritize essential loads. We also ensured the installation remained reversible in the future to honor historic preservation standards. This infrastructure is what makes Charlotte Amalie long term rentals at Fifteenand9Main genuinely different.
What We'd Tell Someone Else
If you're thinking about solar in the Virgin Islands — especially for a historic building — our advice is this: understand the tradeoffs, bring in the right people early, and be realistic about timing. Ask how your system will behave during outages, not just sunny days. Make sure your installer is familiar with preservation rules. And expect some curveballs with shipping, permits, and roofs that weren't built with conduit in mind.
Some of the tradeoffs we encountered:
- ⚡ Higher upfront cost – Solar isn't cheap, especially with battery storage and engineering for older buildings.
- 🏛️ Design constraints – Historic sightlines and reversibility limited panel placement options.
- 📦 Logistics delays – Shipping to the islands adds time and uncertainty; scheduling matters.
- 🔌 Legacy infrastructure – Some rewiring was necessary to integrate modern systems safely.
Want to See It for Yourself?
If you're planning a similar project, we're happy to show you what we did and why. You can see the full benefit of this infrastructure in the Harbor View — the top-floor unit. You can also contact our solar partner at info@efactoryenergy.com to ask technical questions.