Solar Energy Solidarity to donate PV projects to benefit 80,000 people
The Solar Energy Solidarity move led by multinational PROINSO will donate over 60kW in 2013 to a dozen solidarity solar projects to be developed in Nepal, Kenya, Guatemala, Haiti, Brazil and India. These projects are expected to benefit more than 80,000 people, adding to the six developed in 2012 in Peru, Togo, Benin and Thailand, which improved power supply for 19,000 people.
At PROINSO they said the initiative grew in 2012 because it added cooperating partners like SMA, INGETEAM and TRINA, among others. These companies donated PV products to different solar projects in the solidarity programme.
"˜We believe our solidarity programme will continue to grow with the collaboration of other manufacturers and companies in the solar PV industry that are interested in joining the Solar Energy Solidarity programme,' said PROINSO Marketing Manager Teresa Marticorena, who added that new solidarity projects had been proposed by cooperation agencies. "˜Even engineers and technicians in the solar industry are interested in contributing their work for the development of these projects in different countries,' Ms Marticorena explained.
Regarding the six projects carried out in 2012 within the framework of this initiative, they totalled more than 18kW and benefited over 19,000 people. The goal for 2012 was to install 5kW, an amount of power that was multiplied by four to 18kW thanks to the support provided by the manufacturers involved in the projects.
NGOs, organisations, and local governments and partners also collaborated in these projects, aimed at supplying energy to meet the power demand of most underprivileged communities.
Projects scheduled
| COUNTRY | PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2013 | POWER |
| Nepal | Solar systems for powering water pumps | 24kW |
| Kenya | Primary school | 5kW |
| Kenya | Secondary school | 2kW |
| Kenya | Health centre | 1kW |
| Kenya | Coffee processing plant "“ Fair trade/Farming cooperatives | 8kW |
| Guatemala | PV systems generating electricity for 180 homes | 10kW |
| Haiti | Refrigerated food storage facility | 5kW |
| Brazil | PV system generating electricity for a hospital | 5kW |
| India | Water well rehabilitation and solar-powered water pump installation | 2kW |
