It’s hurricane season. Ian has devastated Florida, and before that, Fiona hit Puerto Rico. Recovery efforts have started, but lessons have already been learned, especially about access to electricity.

Hurricanes knock down power lines, leaving homes in the dark. In Puerto Rico, only about half of the customers of the island’s power company had electricity a week after the hurricane. However, homes with rooftop solar with battery backup were largely unaffected, as 97% of them experienced uninterrupted electricity, although at a lower level than usual during the hurricane.

After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico five years ago, energy experts and community organizers urged government officials not to build back the existing fossil-fuel-powered grid and instead invest in rooftop solar with battery storage. Unfortunately, those pleas went unheard, and the needed investments did not occur.

But a grassroots effort took hold. Business owners, residents and nonprofits organized a movement that resulted in the installation of tens of thousands of rooftop solar systems with battery backup. Fiona became a test for those systems.

Solar panels were able to continue to generate electricity during Fiona, although at a lower rate than normal because of the dense cloud cover. But for most people, it was sufficient.

The owners of the solar panels had to make adjustments to reduce their usual consumption of electricity during a period of a few days. The sacrifice was worth the effort because now they are back to normal in their use of electricity.

Another lesson learned from Fiona is that homes with solar panels, which comprise a decentralized system, are much more reliable after being hit by a hurricane than the island’s centralized system. Centralized systems depend on power plants that generate electricity and power lines that distribute the electricity. Centralized systems typify electricity delivery in the U.S.

Power plants in centralized systems typically burn fossil fuel, which is considered to be a “firm” source of energy because it is usable 24/7. Hawaiian Electric, which provides electricity to Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui County, generates most of its electricity from fossil fuel. Fiona showed that distribution issues make electricity generated by fossil fuel and other so-called “firm” energy sources unreliable during a hurricane. When power lines go down, many people lose electricity.

We in Hawaii should learn from Puerto Rico because only about one-fifth of the electricity in Hawaii is generated from solar energy. The great majority of households in Hawaii get their electricity from centralized systems, which subject them to the risk of losing electricity in a hurricane.

Fortunately, that risk can be substantially reduced by switching to rooftop solar with battery backup. Their costs have been declining due to advances in technology. In addition, Hawaii offers a 35% tax credit on solar systems. At the federal level, the Inflation Reduction Act will restore and extend the solar tax credit to 30%. Furthermore, banks and credit unions offer solar loans, and solar companies offer financing options.

Of course, rooftop solar has other benefits as well. We know that it does not pollute the air, so replacing fossil fuel with solar mitigates climate change. We know that the cost of solar energy has declined so much that it is now less expensive than energy generated by fossil fuels. Fiona has taught us that rooftop solar is much more reliable during hurricanes than electricity generated by centralized systems.

Hawaii is the top state for per capita solar power production, but we have only just begun to realize the full power of solar.

Martha “Cory” Harden is a Hilo resident active on environmental issues; Melodie Aduja, a former state senator, holds leadership positions in environmental and progressive organizations; Mark Koppel is an emeritus professor of psychology and an environmental advocate.