The acciona.org foundation is adding a new system based on photovoltaic microgrids with energy storage to its activities in Peru in order to provide affordable and clean electricity to remote communities. The renewable energy generated by a solar plant is distributed through power lines to homes and community centers as well as to streetlights.

ACCIONA's non-profit foundation is implementing this system for the indigenous communities of Diamante Azul, San Rafael, San Carlos and Santa María, in the department of Loreto, in the heart of the Peruvian Amazonia, where it will benefit a total of 270 families of more than 1,400 people. acciona.org had already implemented an initial pilot project in the community of Copal Urco, benefiting more than 60 families. The five communities were in the same situation: they had no electricity service or received it intermittently, only for a few hours.

These solar plants with battery storage allow electricity to be generated at an affordable and stable cost without relying on fossil fuels, which are polluting, expensive and difficult to transport to these remote areas of the Amazon, where access is usually limited to small boats on the river.

Electricity is distributed through power lines to homes, small businesses, schools, medical centers, etc., and to street lighting, which improves safety and facilitates mobility, outdoor tasks and community life at night.

Photovoltaic microgrids are a suitable solution for groups of homes in isolated population centers, as they are more sustainable and efficient than the commonly used diesel-powered microgrids.

 LOCAL MANAGEMENT

As with all acciona.org projects, each community plays a key role in joint management through a community committee responsible for day-to-day administrative and operational tasks, with technical support and supervision provided by acciona.org. In addition, the community itself, in coordination with acciona.org, determines the most convenient service schedule according to its needs.

The photovoltaic microgrids in Diamante Azul and San Rafael are already operational. In Diamante Azul, they now have eight hours of electricity, double what they had before, thanks to a 148.8kWp solar plant that supplies 86 homes, two community centers and the public lighting network. In San Rafael, which previously had no service, a 105.6kWp plant provides electricity to 44 homes, five community centers, and a network of streetlights.

The renewable power microgrids in San Carlos and Santa María de Loreto are under development and will benefit 60 and 80 homes, respectively, in addition to providing electricity to community centers and a public lighting network.

Furthermore, in all communities, the photovoltaic microgrid system is supplemented by acciona.org's traditional model: residential photovoltaic systems for homes far away from population centers.

acciona.org is thus extending a formula that it first implemented in the community of Copal Urco in 2021, which has established itself as an affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity service. The success and replicability of this model led to the Copal Urco microgrid receiving the Energy Excellence Award in the Renewable Energy category from the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) in 2024.

 NATIVE COMMUNITIES

Access to sustainable and clean energy in the Peruvian Amazonia contributes significantly to improving the living conditions of indigenous communities.

These communities freely decide to participate in the projects, with the approval and support of their leaders. In addition, the projects are developed with a commitment to preserve their territories, respect their customs and traditions, and promote the progress and development that the communities themselves demand.

According to the Database of Indigenous and Native Peoples of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, the Peruvian Amazonia is home to 51 indigenous peoples out of a total of 55 indigenous peoples living across the country. In the native communities where acciona.org provides electricity, there are groups belonging to peoples such as the Kichwa, Kukama Kukamiria, Wampis, Achuar, Awajún, Quechuas, and Matsigenka.

The acciona.org foundation has been present in Peru since 2009, focusing mainly on its rural electrification initiative called Light at Home, which has been active for 16 years and now benefits about 65,000 people in the regions of Cajamarca, Loreto, Amazonas, and Cusco.