A Cuban identified as Gley09 on TikTok was moved to tears last Monday while solar panels were being installed in her home in Cuba, in a video that captures the daily struggle of millions of Cubans caught in the worst power crisis in the island's recent history.
In the video description, the user wrote: "Today I can only say thank you God for this, and I don't care what they say because I know how much it cost." In the comments, she revealed that the installation cost 3,500 dollars.
That figure, which in any other context might seem reasonable for a residential solar system, is enormous in Cuba. The average salary on the island amounts to barely about 13 dollars a month at the informal exchange rate, meaning that this woman's investment represents more than 22 years of average salary for most Cubans.
The 59-second video features a motivational song in the background, with lyrics that seem tailor-made for the moment: "I am the proof, I am the echo of those who never gave up, I am the voice of hope that awoke in silence. I am the fruit of the struggle, of effort and vision; don’t say it can’t be done, look at how it was achieved."
The reaction of Gley09 is not an isolated gesture. Since 2024, Cuba has been experiencing an unprecedented electrical crisis, with blackouts in May 2026 exceeding 22 hours daily in Havana. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged this reality on May 14. On that day, the electrical deficit reached 2,174 MW, leaving nearly 70% of the island without power simultaneously.
The National Electric System has collapsed at least seven times completely in roughly a year and a half, including two national outages in the same week in March 2026.
Due to the state's inability to guarantee electricity, more and more Cubans are turning to private solar solutions as the only viable alternative. However, the prices are prohibitive: the solar panels sold by the Cuban government through the Electric Union cost 75,200 Cuban pesos for an 800W module, which is more than twenty times the average monthly salary. Correos de Cuba offers systems ranging from 5 to 12 kW between 2,530,000 and 4,895,000 pesos, not including installation.
In the informal market, a solar panel can cost between $990 and $1,000, and complete residential kits with shipping to Cuba are offered for around $3,600 to $4,500. The government modified the requirements for installing solar panels in April, removing the obligation to obtain a permit except in historical centers or multifamily buildings.
The phenomenon of Cubans showcasing their solar installations on social media has solidified as a trend since 2025, with videos accumulating hundreds of thousands of views and reflecting both the desperation over blackouts and the pride in being able to afford a solution that the state does not provide.
The song in the Gley09 video captures it accurately: "Faith is not an appearance, it's knowing what one carries, it's moving forward without guarantees and still breaking barriers."
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