Guantanamo.- In the mountainous community of La Escondida, in the municipality of El Salvador, in Guantanamo Province, the mini solar parks with a capacity of 48 kW, and two solar inverters, are already synchronized with the national electrical grid (National SEN, in Spanish abbreviation).
Referring to the impact of the new solar park, Engineer Sael Cantillo Guzmán of the Guantánamo Renewable Energy Sources Business Unit stated that the project, which utilizes Chinese technology, has 108 solar panels, and requires the investment of 23 million Cuban pesos.
This project is the result of a strategic alliance between the University of Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez,” the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Provincial Electric Company.
In statements to the press, Ernesto Luis Gorrea Cardoza, a professor at the University of Sancti Spíritus, said that approximately 400 people and 140 homes in the area will benefit from the project. The member of the Center for Studies on Renewable Energies and Processes also specified that solar pumping systems will be installed, which will provide the community with water.
As part of the synchronization of the mini photovoltaic solar park, several solar-powered lights were installed at sites of economic and social importance in the mountainous community. These include the René Ramos Latour Educational Institution, the bakery, the polyclinic, and the bodega (small grocery store).
Unlike the large photovoltaic parks being built in the country as part of the national program using Chinese brand technology, this mini park is distinguished by its community-based approach and local innovation. The University of Sancti Spíritus, through its research group, actively participated in providing technical advice and supervising the installation.
For the residents of La Escondida, the synchronization of the mini-park represents a a great relief. Although the park feeds its energy into the national grid, its strategic location helps stabilize the voltage and improve the quality of supply in the area, increasing reliance on solar power, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation linked to fossil fuel use.
According to the Climate News Today Website, Guantánamo also stands out nationally for having the highest number of isolated photovoltaic systems, with 4,353 units installed in dispersed households.
These systems, with capacities ranging from 1.5 kW to 2 kW, address the challenge of electrifying remote communities unreachable by the national electrical grid. This initiative aligns with Cuba’s Plan Turquino, which aims to extend essential services to isolated rural populations.
