The director of the Electrical Union of Cuba (UNE), Alfredo López Valdés, suggested in a television appearance that the population should buy solar panels instead of power plants. How much do these panels cost and how to acquire them in Cuba, for those who can afford it?
«Now this man (UNE director) says that people have to think about buying “a small” photovoltaic system instead of a plant. In other words, everyone can solve it as best they can. And where is “the systemite” or the money for “the systemite” going to come from? From the “worms”, as always. “How long are we going to allow these cynics and ignorant people to play with the only life we have?” questioned a Cuban on social networks in response to the UNE director’s detail.
In 2020, UNE sparked a debate on Twitter with the publication of a thread in which it addressed the issue of the use of solar panels to cover the electricity consumption of homes on the island. Then they assured that the Development Program for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency on the island had planned the sale of panels to individuals.
How many solar panels does a house in Cuba need?
Buy solar panels in Cuba? To determine how many solar panels you need to cover your electricity consumption, the Electrical Union suggested that the first thing is to know the daily consumption of your home. To do this, they recommend dividing the average monthly consumption that appears on your electricity bill by 30.
For example, if a person consumes 17 kWh per day, the UNE proposes the following calculation:
Multiply 17 kWh by 1000 (which is the amount of net energy in watts that needs to be captured from the photovoltaic system), obtaining 17,000 Wh. Then, divide that result by 5 hours of daily sunlight, which gives 3,400 W. This is the power needed in panels for your home. Since the average power of a panel is 260 W, 3,400 / 260 = 14 panels would be needed.
Does the state in Cuba sell solar panels?
Recently, a report on Cuban TV, by journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso, addressed the sale of solar panels in Cuba. There he uncovered some facts that do not contribute to that energy “independence” that is needed at this time.
There it was said that COPEXTEL explained that in Havana solar panels imported from China were being marketed for some residences, which took more than five months to arrive on the island. They are designed to provide energy to the local grid, although without backup batteries, as they only work when there is sun.
In 2022, in that same report, a high consumer family claimed to spend half a million Cuban pesos on the purchase of solar panels. A luxury that most Cubans cannot afford.
In groups on social networks you can also purchase some solar panel kits, in foreign currency, from 400 USD to 800 USD or more.
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