- The Museo de América in Madrid is hosting a photography exhibition from today until February 28th on the “Luz en Casa México” project, an initiative to take electricity to isolated communities in the state of Oaxaca through the use of photovoltaic panels.
- It has around twenty photos illustrating the community program set up by ACCIONA Microenergía, the Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Government of the State of Oaxaca.
The Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Latin America, Jesús Manuel Gracia Aldaz, Mexican ambassador Roberta Lajous Vargas and Fundación ACCIONA Microenergía president Carmen Becerril are today inaugurating the “Luz en Casa Oaxaca” photography exhibition, which illustrates – through around 20 images – a community program to take electricity to over 7,500 families in Oaxaca, Mexico via a system of photovoltaic panels.
The installation of solar panels in homes, training sessions, or improvements to daily life brought about by the arrival of electricity in these communities located far away from conventional national grids are some of the moments captured by Fernando Franco, a photographer from Oaxaca, through the Acciona Microenergía Foundation in the twenty-plus photos on display from today until February 28th in the Museo de América. The exhibition also describes the development and context of this cooperation program through the public-private alliance consisting of ACCIONA Microenergía México, the Spanish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Government of the State of Oaxaca.
The “Luz en Casa Oaxaca” program sets out to guarantee a basic electricity service to isolated families in Oaxaca who live in places where there are no plans to supply electric power through conventional grids. The service consists of a home-based technical solution involving a solar panel and a lithium battery to provide at least six hours’ power a day with three lightbulbs and one plug. These systems replace candles, kerosene lamps, batteries, etc., improving the quality of life of the people in the communities. The risk of respiratory illnesses and fire is also reduced, living conditions in the households are improved and the possibility of incorporating new appliances that are useful for the families in terms of lighting, communication, etc. is opened up.
Public-Private Partnership
Luz en Casa Oaxaca is the first experience in the Public-Private Partnership set up in Mexico by the Spanish Government through the Spanish Cooperation Agency (AECID). The program is part of, and supports, the public policy of the Government of the State of Oaxaca, a fundamental stakeholder in the alliance, not only providing resources but also the necessary institutional coverage to guarantee the sustainability of the results.
Equally important in this project is the participation and commitment of the Mexican Federal Government, through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID).
This alliance between Spanish Cooperation, public institutions from the three levels of government in the Mexican State and the private sector – Fundación ACCIONA Microenergía – aims at having a positive and lasting impact on the living conditions of the most disadvantaged sectors of the population. It provides a scenario of possibilities regarding the application of a new generation of development instruments that are more efficient and innovative.
The promotion of Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency has a great impact on the sustainable development of the planet. This is why the Spanish Cooperation Agency is driving the development paradigm based on sustainable economies, which are characterized by low CO2 emissions and high levels of biodiversity, social justice and fairness. The AECID has played a key role in the international development agenda in recent years, contributing to the renewables and energy efficiency sector in partner countries.
Fundación ACCIONA Microenergía
The ACCIONA Microenergía Foundation aims to improve access to energy and water supplies in rural settlements that are unlikely to be covered by conventional power distribution systems through economically sustainable programs, based on an initial donation and a fee-per-service model. The Foundation has been operating in Mexico since 2012 and has also been present in Peru since 2009, a country where electric power is now supplied to 4,000 homes in the region of Cajamarca and to community centers (schools, churches, health centers and other community service centers).
The ACCIONA Microenergía Foundation is an initiative of the ACCIONA Group, a leading global Spanish company in the implementation of renewable energies, social infrastructure and the end-to-end management of the water cycle. It operates within the Sustainable Development Objectives of the United Nations, one of these being “guaranteeing access to affordable, safe, sustainable and modern energy for everyone”.