Aims and Summary:

The construction of an integrated hybrid wind/solar PV system, consisting of a 1kW locally constructed wind turbine and a 500W solar array, with a combination of a micro-grid and a battery charging station to provide a sustainable energy supply. Houses too remote from the mini-grid will receive solar home systems.

Before the intervention...

The village of Cajiniquil is perched on the top of the foothills of an extinct volcano in central Nicaragua about 3 ½ hours north of Managua along a narrow, winding and potholed road, and then an extremely steep dirt track. Cajiniquil is isolated from the surrounding villages by a steep incline meaning that is unlikely to be connected to the national grid at any point in the foreseeable future.

Currently families used to spend an average of $3/month on kerosene which they used mainly for lighting lamps, which is both dangerous and a serious health risk from indoor air pollution.  Water was carried in buckets from the river which represented a considerable burden for the women and children as well as exposing the water to contamination.  

The Project Plan:

The project provided 20 households in the village of Cajiniquil with a clean, renewable electricity supply for powering electrical lights, powering a water pump to provide the community with a supply of clean water, and improving services at the school, health and community centres.  

Renewable World added value:

This activity is a successful example of Renewable World's support to partners, not only by providing social investment and financing but by facilitating knowledge sharing and technology development.

Project Development

The community was involved in all aspects of the project from the initial design, through to forming a gender-balanced committee, who mobilised the community labour and continue to manage the system.  The committee set the monthly tariffs each household needs to pay for their energy and water, to cover the long-term management and maintenance of the system.

This project has been supported by Renewable World Major Donor - International Power GDF Suez, read more about our corporate partnership.