by Megan Maiolo-Heath, Marketing Director The dirt road leading up to the rural community of Chachagua, in the central northern mountains of Nicaragua, puts any 4×4 roads in my home state of Colorado to shame. Not only does the driver contend with steep, winding, bumpy roads, he or she must also dodge people, motorbikes, other trucks, and…
A new coalition has formed to encourage all sectors of society to respond to specific calls to action that will advance the adoption of decentralized renewable power. The Power for All campaign believes that urgently addressing the calls to action will enable universal energy access by 2025 – 10 years earlier than experts currently predict. The…
Over 500,000 homes in Guatemala are without electricity, leaving millions of people in the dark once the sun sets. Adults are unable to work at night and children struggle to study by dim candle lights, which also emit toxic fumes into the home. Candles are expensive too, costing families up to $20 per month, money that…
Throughout Central America, we work with some of the most rural communities in the region to provide sustainable, clean energy solutions to families living without electricity. A grueling 12 hour bus ride through Guatemala’s La Zona Reyna in the Department of El Quiche will get you (if all goes well) to one of these last-mile communities:…
Don Orellano lives in the community of La Gloria, and primarily speaks Kiche. The purchase of a solar home system has greatly changed his life. Prior to owning one of these systems, he had to buy two to three candles a day to light his house, with each candle costing him one quetzal. Previously, he also had…
by Sebastian Africano, Managing Director Over the past week, I’ve driven an average of 200km a day visiting partners and beneficiaries of Luciérnaga’s solar energy work in Central America. After a weeklong tour of my old stomping grounds in Honduras, yesterday’s visit to the deep coastal forests of the Rio Escalante / Chacocente Reserve in…
Since 2011, we have worked closely with PowerMundo to help communities in Latin America gain access to cleantech products that improve lives and conserve the environment. This partnership started through an Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) initiative, Improving Access to Clean Energy in Latin America, where we have been working with PowerMundo to increase…
A new report published by the Sierra Club is shining a light on the huge potential that off-grid, clean energy services have for electrifying the developing world. The report, titled Clean Energy Services for All: Financing Universal Electrification, estimates a $12 billion annual off-grid clean energy industry by 2030. Justin Guay, Associate Director, International Climate Program,…
Aníbal is Luciérnaga’s Central American Regional Manager and has been fundamental to launching the business in Honduras. He holds an Environmental Engineering Degree from the Universidad Católica in Honduras and has ten years of experience in design, deployment, and testing of clean cookstoves and solar energy systems for rural areas. Moreover, he has been trained…
The Sun King Pro 2, manufactured by Greenlight Planet, is one of the most popular solar lights in the world. This affordable LED light is 15 times brighter than a kerosene lamp and can also charge cell phones with its two available USB ports. The durable light is portable and handheld but can also…
Illuminating Opportunity 