| With some of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet, and extremely remote communities, the benefits of environmentally-friendly energy in Ecuador are clear. Green Empowerment has worked with communities deep in the Amazon to bring electricity to homes and community buildings using solar panels, which allow for light and other needs without destroying the environment. We have also conducted training workshops for community members and engineers that cover all aspects of various renewable energy technologies, such as construction, financing, and maintenance of solar and solar water pump systems. Green Empowerment partners with Fundacion Natura and FEDETA to continue delivering the benefits of electricity to communities throughout Ecuador.
Solar Villages with Fundación Ecuatoriana de Tecnología Apropiada (FEDETA) Green Empowerment is working with FEDETA to strengthen a solar energy program that enables remote villages to install solar panels for light and electricity. To date, FEDETA has installed almost 600 solar panels and 2 micro-hydro projects in 20 villages that are far from the national grid. Most of the villages are in the Amazon rainforest, where extending a grid would be economically and environmentally costly. The villages organize to manage the systems themselves. They form “Units of Operation and Management for Sustainable Energy” (UOPGES) which are small local businesses that charge a monthly tariff ($3.50-$5.00) to build a fund for battery replacement. The operator has been trained on all aspects of solar installation and maintenance. The large state electrical companies concessioned to provide electricity to the area provide back-up technical assistance. The program is financed by an Ecuadorian government’s fund for rural electrification (FERUM). In 2007, Green Empowerment led a Workshop on Technical and Financial Strengthening for Operators of the UOPGES in the city of El Coca, Ecuador. Fourty Operadores tecnicos and Operadores administrativos from the communities where FEDETA has installed the solar power systems, as well as engineers from the electrical companies, participated in the workshop. The workshop combined hands-on technical installation exercises with small-group analysis of how to improve the administrative aspects of the program, such as tariff collection, user regulations, parts replacement and roles of project partners. Green Empowerment also taught a Workshop on Solar Pumping Systems and Ram Pumps for Isolated Populations in Quito for 40 engineers and energy planners from 16 electrical companies from different regions of the country. FEDETA and Green Empowerment are now working together to design the first solar pump in the country to deliver clean water to an Amazonian village. See the Green Empowerment blog for a first-hand account of the Workshops. Amazon Projects with Fundacion Natura  In January 2005, Green Empowerment, Fundacion Natura, EnerGreen and the communities completed renewable energy projects in 2 villages deep in the Amazon: Numpatkaim and Kunkup. Over 340 indigenous Shuar villagers now enjoy the benefits of solar power, including lighting in their homes and community buildings and power for two-way radios, computers and tools. Click here to see the photo essay from the community installation. The systems have been designed with the community and the solar panels have been donated from Isofoton and BP Solar . Numpatkaim; Health Center to Radio Communication
Project Profile of Numpatkaim (pdf) Over 8,000 indigenous Shuar people live in the remote Southern regions of Ecuador, in the Cordillera del Condor region bordering Peru. Many of these small, poor communities are a two to four day walk from a road. Because their communities are so geographically isolated and poor, the national electric grid has not reached them and there are no plans to extend the grid in their direction. The Shuar have identified several needs that can be alleviated with the provision of electricity. This project will address the above needs by implementing a project co-directed by the Shuar governing body, Circunscripcion Territorial Shuar Arutam, the Numpatkaim community, Fundacion Natura of Ecuador, Green Empowerment of the United States and the EnerGreen Foundation of Canada. In this project the community decided to divide the amount of potencial electricity produced by the project into four different systems: a battery charging station, a community center, power for the health center, and improvements to the two-way radio communication system. Battery Charging Station. The battery charging station is a 350 watt solar array that will allow for the community members of Naumpatkaim and the people of the Association of Sinip to bring their personal batteries to the station, charge them, and return with the battery to their houses to use for evening lighting. The battery charging station will also generate revenue that will be put towards the maintenance and the overall upkeep of the system and thus help to assure long term sustainability. Electricity for the Community Center The Community Center of Naumpatkaim is not only a gathering place for the community, but also a meeting place for the monthly meetings of the Sinip Association (a group of five villages). We aim to install a 400 Watt PV system in the community center to provide illumination for evening programs such as meetings and school functions. There will also be enough energy to charge batteries used in battery-powered tools and to power a music system.  Health Center The Naumpatkaim Health Center is equipped with a gas powered refrigerator to help preserve medicines. However, there is no electricity for lighting in the health center, making it very difficult to attend to patients in the evenings. A 150 Watt photovoltaic system will be installed in the health center to provide light for the evenings. Two Way Radio Communication System Long distance radio communication is extremely important for emergencies. Since Numpatkaim is the main landing area for small air planes in the Sinip Association, it is very important that their radio system functions properly. Presently the radio communication system is powered by a small PV system, which only provides enough electricity for a maximum of two hours a day. To improve the capabilities of the system this project will upgrade the power system for the radio so that it can operate for five hours a day.
 Kunkup; Home Lighting and Income Generation
Project Profile Kunkup (pdf) Kunkup is a commuity that holds true to its mission of protecting the environment and maintaining its culture while finding ways to improve the community's basic needs (water, electricity, health, and education). The people of Kunkup believe in protecting their environment and respect the rainforest that they live in. For that reason they created a protected forest out of 332 hectares that they own. They have communally developed a potable water system and a small project beeding capibara (a large rodent and native delicacy of the area). They have decided to use some of the funds from selling capibaras towards the costs of the photovoltaic systems, to further improve their socio-economic opportunities, while maintaining their cultural autonomy. As in all of our projects, the community makes the final decision on what the solar power will be used for. In Kunkup, the community decided to divide the amount of allotted wattage for the projects into 11 systems: a community center and ten solar home systems. We aim to install a total of 1000 Watts of photovoltaic systems in Kunkup with the help from generous individuals like you.. Home Lighting Systems  Each home in the community will have a 60 watt solar home system to power lighting. Presently, families use mecheros (diesel lanterns) for lighting in the evenings. The community feels that more light in their homes is important so that the children can study and to reduce the health risks of the mecheros. Income-Generation After lighting in their homes, Kunkup's biggest need is to have electricity in a community center to power electrical tools. They plan to produce and market furniture and crafts, instead of having to sell large trees to the lumberyard, for very little income. Alliance Fundacion Natura , an environmental conservation organization based in Quito, Ecuador, Green Empowerment and our sister organization, EnerGreen have created an alliance to work co-operatively for the development, training, design and execution of renewable energy systems in remote communities in Ecuador and to develop expertise and a center of excellence for small scale energy systems throughout South America. Galapagos Green Empowerment has recently teamed up with Fundacion Natura , a large Ecuadorian conservation organization, the EnerGreen Foundation, WWF and other supporters to supply turtle research stations on the Galapagos islands with solar energy, instead of being connected with the electricity grid. The grid is powered by polluting fossil fuels which are shipped to the islands, posing the additional risk of oil spills for marine habitat.  The new photovoltaic system (top left of photo above provides power to a biological research and conservation station (see turtle in bottom right of photo above). The stations incubate turtle eggs and rehabilitate the threatened Galapagos turtle species whose range has been restricted by hunting. The solar project is an important demonstration--providing information on the power of solar energy and the dangers of deisel use on the islands to the thousands of visitors to these stations. Green Empowerment has provided technical design assistance and a hands-on photovoltaic training in mid-February 2004. We are working with Fundacion Natura to equip another conservation station with Solar Energy and build the local skills to install and maintain the system. | 
