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Images of solar panels secured with tape at the Serones II solar park in Mayarí, Holguín province, have sparked dozens of jokes and skepticism among Cubans who question the effectiveness of such measures against a powerful hurricane like Melissa, which is a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
“The electrical workers in Holguín are doubling our efforts to protect our facilities and ensure the continuity of electric service through our renewable sources. Prevention is our best ally! We continue to work with responsibility and commitment for the well-being of our community,” the entity wrote on its Facebook profile.
The message, accompanied by emojis and slogans of commitment and unity, aimed to convey confidence.
The scene repeated itself in Manzanillo, Granma province, where journalist Roberto Mesa Matos reported on similar work at the Las Tapias photovoltaic solar park.
“Given the danger posed by Hurricane Melissa, builders are securing the sites where the panels will be placed, anchoring containers and tables with special tapes,” he published on his Facebook profile, while referring to the protection of materials and structures against rain and winds.
But the effect was the opposite. Within hours, ironic comments flooded social media.
"I already have the net ready to catch them on the fly in Florida," wrote a user. Another one joked, "Those little strings will be useful for using the solar panels as kites."
"When Melissa passes, the panels will be closer to the sun," commented Alexander Martínez, while others suggested taking them down rather than watching them fly away.
"It was more sensible to remove them for a few days than to lose them; it's a hurricane, not just a downpour," pointed out Julio César Chiong Fernández.
Others, like Joan Llerena Reverón, stated: "These tapes may withstand the intense winds, but the panels would remain unprotected from what Melissa could bring or stir up, as it could throw sand, stones, debris, and other materials against the panels, damaging them partially or completely; they should be better protected."
The mockery reflects the growing skepticism regarding the authorities' actual preparedness for the weather phenomenon, and the widespread feeling that prevention has become more of a slogan than an effective policy.
In May, the UNE stated that the solar parks installed in the country are designed to withstand hurricanes of high intensity, including category 4, whose winds can reach up to 228 km/h.
The statement was posted on the wall of of the state entity, citing data from the book "Photovoltaic Energy for Cuba" by Professor Daniel Stolik, regarded as a pioneer in this field.
According to the UNE, the installed solar modules have undergone wind and hail resistance tests conducted by the manufacturers themselves, and they have an estimated lifespan of 25 years.
Among the factors that would enhance their resistance, the low height of the panels, their southward tilt, the row design that slows down the wind, the presence of natural obstacles, and the terrain's relief were mentioned.
In this regard, Yulié Salgado Barrizonte, director of the construction of the La Barbarita photovoltaic park in Consolación del Sur, stated that the Chinese system used is not designed to be taken down in the face of extreme weather events, and that in previous experiences, the damages after hurricanes like Ian (September 2022) were "almost negligible."
Hurricane Melissa, with category 4 and winds of 220 kilometers per hour and higher gusts, is slowly moving through the Caribbean and threatens to impact eastern Cuba in the coming hours.
Experts anticipate that the system will gradually shift towards the north and northeast between Monday and Tuesday, dangerously approaching eastern Cuba.
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