This Indigenous Peoples Day Twende Solar is thrilled to announce an update from the Mushuk Lamas community in northeastern Perú where Twende completed an 7.3kW off-grid solar array with energy storage in early 2019: The nearby municipality of Shapaja provided funding for an additional project to distribute electricity to all of the individual homes in the Mushuk Lamas community from the system Twende built!

This has allowed community members to install two lights and outlets inside each home, as well as one exterior light which helps illuminate the whole community. Now the residents of Mushuk Lamas will be able to add computers in their homes to access the internet and other small appliances. The community also added a computer room with 5 computers which utilizes the wireless internet deployed as part of the initial project with Twende and still plans to purchase coffee processing equipment.

Each community member will contribute 10 soles (about $3) per month to help maintain the solar energy system and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the project by creating a fund for the replacement of the batteries in the future. The project was initiated in early May in coordination with the community members from Mushuk Lamas and was completed in mid-July.