Innovative Solar Station Offers Relief Amid Villa Clara's Energy Crisis

In the face of ongoing power outages plaguing Villa Clara and the rest of Cuba, residents of the Virginia community in Santa Clara have found a unique way to cope. They frequent a solar energy station daily to charge their phones, cook meals, and recharge their electric vehicles. While this initiative offers some respite, it remains insufficient to address the widespread energy crisis.

Dubbed a "solinera," a blend of the words "solar" and "gas station," the facility was launched on April 5 by the Local Development Project (PDL) Gomate Technical and Commercial Services. Situated on Prolongación de Marta Abreu Street, it operates independently from the National Electric System, offering services from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon every day.

The solinera is equipped with 56 solar panels, boasting a power output of 30 kilowatts and battery storage of 60 kilowatts. This setup allows it to function autonomously, even during hurricanes and extended emergencies.

Community Benefits of the Solar Station

With the capacity to accommodate six vehicles simultaneously and 26 double outlets to connect 52 cooking devices, the station provides free services to the community. Although there is a yet-to-be-determined fee for charging electric motorcycles and tricycles, the project leaders emphasize that it will remain as low as possible to ensure sustainability.

Julio Ernesto Gomate Morales, the 29-year-old director of PDL who started as a self-employed worker under the name "Julito Parts and Pieces," explained the rationale behind the cooking service: "Many people are currently using charcoal for cooking, which costs 2,000 pesos per sack and runs out quickly. However, almost everyone owns a rice cooker or a multi-cooker and can bring it here. The community is pleased to have a place to solve this issue."

Building the Solar Station: A Community Effort

The station was constructed in just nine days from the ground up by Eléctrica Total, a private company based in the Ranchuelo municipality. Yaneisy Granela Hernández, the PDL administrator, recounted the effort: "We worked from dawn until nearly the next dawn, but we succeeded."

This solar charging station is the first of its scale in the province, according to the administrator, who noted that only one smaller station existed elsewhere.

The 30 kW generated by the community solinera are complemented by another 50 kW that power the commercial and service area of the PDL, which has created 54 direct jobs since its inception in mid-2025.

Impacts and Future Plans

Oscar García Valdés, a resident of the José Martí neighborhood, was among the first to visit after learning about it on Facebook: "I came to charge my phone because the power was out at home. It's a fantastic idea. I think it should be extended to other municipalities."

This initiative emerges amid the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. In March 2026, the National Electric System experienced its seventh and eighth total collapses in just 18 months, resulting in power outages exceeding 20 hours daily in several provinces.

Since January 2026, the situation worsened as Venezuela halted crude oil shipments and Mexico ceased its petroleum exports under pressure from sanctions by the Trump administration.

In response, decentralized renewable energy solutions have proliferated across the island: solar panel-equipped tricycles in Havana, solar park outlets in Isla de la Juventud, and a self-sufficient energy microenterprise in Santa Clara.

Future plans for PDL Gomate include installing rapid and ultra-rapid charging equipment and constructing another solar station near kilometer 270 of the National Highway. A colleague from Las Tunas has already expressed interest in replicating the project in that eastern province.

Neighbor Miguel Ángel García Marimón captured the community's cautious optimism: "Having a place to charge phones or cook when there's no power is a significant step, but there's still much to do to solve the neighborhood's energy problem; hopefully, this is the start of more projects like this because the need is great, and the blackouts remain a huge inconvenience."