Shedding Light on Sustainability:
Governance and technology team together for sustainability of newly installed solar home lighting systems in communities in Mexico
Residents of Arroyo del Caña gather to learn about
their newly installed photovoltaic home lighting
systems – limitations, load management, proper
care – and what services to expect from their local
energy committee technicians.
“We are willing to do whatever we need to do, just teach us how.” -Rubén Vázquez Osorio, Community Leader, El Suspiro, Veracruz, Mexico.
Two rural communities in the Mexican state of Veracruz, El Suspiro and Arroyo del Caña, are so small, isolated and dispersed that the probability of receiving public grid-tied electricity service anytime soon is limited. Without electricity, children complete their schoolwork under the flickering light of smoky kerosene lamps or candles. In the absence of light, moving about at night is awkward, sometimes even dangerous. Commonly used cell and automotive batteries are relatively expensive, discharge quickly and create hazardous waste when carelessly discarded. As a group, the communities are loosely defined and lack a strong organized governing structure. What brings them together is commonality with either the local elementary school or church.
Guiding the people through the themes of community involvement, ownership and governance processes, a USAID team, through the sponsored Mexico Renewable Energy Program, has helped them to understand how quality system design and hardware, good governance structures and comprehensive training work together to result in a long-lasting energy system. The team shared the lessons learned from past experiences: each of these components is necessary for any energy system to function well and to be sustained over time. In the words of El Suspiro community leader Rubén Vázquez Osorio, “We are willing to do whatever we need to do, just teach us how.”
Organizing functional committees, the team worked with the communities to define their needs and identify their best energy options. Both communities elected to install distributed photovoltaic (PV) home lighting systems, as opposed to a centralized system for a community center. The committees instituted a maintenance fund and established monthly meetings. They defined the roles and responsibilities of the committee, the user and the community. Strengthening a previously weak relationship with the municipality, the committees were able to negotiate cost share arrangements that allowed users to share the cost of extra and enhanced PV systems among the funds they, the municipality and USAID contributed.
The PV systems have been installed with the active participation of everyone in each community. The users have been trained in the specifics of load management while specialized community technicians, responsible for system maintenance and interfacing with the vendor, have received detailed technical training. Associated administrative and recordkeeping processes have been developed and are in place. The USAID team will soon follow up to ensure all is functioning as designed.
The lives of community residents have changed by the implementation of governance processes and the arrival of basic lighting to the homes. They are applying the principles they have learned to their community water system (recently installed and using PV pumping technologies) and potential micro enterprise activities. They are working together as a group, and more closely with the municipality on other community issues: sanitation, health, water, etc. They have become less marginalized and are now able to extend productive time past the setting sun.
