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The first community "solinera" in Villa Clara opened its doors in the Virginia neighborhood of Santa Clara, where residents can cook, charge their phones, and recharge electric scooters for free, amid an energy crisis that has the province experiencing blackouts of up to 20 hours a day.
The facility, operated by the Local Development Project (PDL) Gomate Technical and Commercial Services, was inaugurated on April 5 on Prolongación de Marta Abreu street, between Silverio and Circunvalación, and operates entirely independently from the National Electric System, highlighted a report from the official newspaper Granma this Friday.
The installation features 56 solar panels, 30 kW of photovoltaic power, and 60 kW of battery storage, providing complete autonomy even during hurricanes or prolonged emergencies.
It has the capacity to simultaneously charge six electric vehicles and 26 double sockets, allowing for the connection of up to 52 cooking appliances at the same time, the source specified.
Neighbors can bring their own rice cookers, pressure cookers, or electric pots and cook at no cost, as well as charge mobile phones and lamps.
The charging of motorbikes and electric tricycles will have a price yet to be determined, with the aim of recouping the investment and ensuring the salary of the operator in the area, he explained.
Alina Izquierdo García, a resident of the neighborhood who cares for two small children and her 81-year-old father, described the impact of the installation.
"This has been a blessing for the community. You know what it’s like not to have the smoke from lighting charcoal inside my house, in addition to being able to come home from work and cook several dishes at once. Wow, this is priceless," he emphasized.
"Most people today are cooking with firewood or charcoal, which costs 2,000 pesos per bag and runs out in a few days. However, most families have a rice cooker or an electric pressure cooker, which they can bring here to solve their problem," analyzed the director of the PDL, Julio Ernesto Gomate Morales, 29 years old, while referring to the logic behind the project.
Solar service stations are energy stations powered by solar panels, independent of the National Electric System (SEN). The term is a Cuban neologism that combines "solar" and "gas station," emerging as a decentralized response to the collapse of the state electric system.
The facility in Santa Clara was built in just nine days from the ground up and is open every day from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon.
The Virginia neighborhood is one of the areas that most frequently loses power in Santa Clara, according to testimonies from residents gathered by the official newspaper.
Roberto Fuentes, another resident of the area, noted that people from other neighborhoods also come to the place. "People from the neighborhood come here to cook and charge their devices, and even individuals from other areas, like the José Martí neighborhood, come to take advantage of this facility," he stated.
Among the plans of PDL Gomate is the installation of fast and ultra-fast charging stations, as well as the construction of another service station near kilometer 270 of the National Highway, which would expand the service to new communities.
The model is being extended to other provinces. On May 3, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, announced the installation of nine solar energy points in that province so that the population can charge devices and even cook.
The proliferation of these stations reflects the depth of the energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing. The National Electric System has suffered eight total collapses in 18 months, while various areas endure power outages of up to 24 hours a day.
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