A California-based microgrid and digital control technology firm has been … Contact online >>
A California-based microgrid and digital control technology firm has been
Today New Sun Road announces the successful installation of ten Stellar Integrated Systems (IS) in ten days. These solar-powered microgrids are 3 to 5 kW each and provide enough electricity and internet to reliably power digital community centers in the Guatemalan highlands. Despite remote distances, heavy rain and dirt roads, good project collaboration and optimized system design meant that on-site installation time was cut in half. This milestone demonstrates the rapid-deploy, plug-and-play benefits of Stellar IS, for the hardest-to-reach communities.
These cloud-controlled systems use IoT technology to provide electricity and WiFi which is the foundation for digital literacy programs designed for, and run by, women in the communities. Cooperating with the local municipalities of Cobán, San Pedro Carchá, Tucurú, and Panzós, the Stellar Ixq-Saq''e (SIS) Centers will serve more than 1,000 women and girls in the Alta Verapaz region in the first year. Digital access will increase economic opportunities by providing internet connectivity and training for the whole community.
Digital Literacy Program members with the Stellar IS in Nimlajacoc, Guatemala
"As climate change intensifies, pushing some of the most vulnerable communities into migration, we need to deploy renewables-based microgrids quickly to meet the challenges. Stellar systems provide resilient power and connectivity that these women need for their families. We must support their aspirations at scale, fast,” explained Jalel Sager, CEO and Co-Founder of New Sun Road. “That''s why we''re so pleased to have completely outpaced even our best-case scenario. It''s difficult for a single team to even visit these 10 remote villages in 10 days, let alone install 10 microgrids in that time."
These centers were made possible by a DAI-Digital Frontiers grant provided by Microsoft and USAID, and in partnership with Nations Women (UN Women), Mercy Corps, World Food Program (WFP), Plan International and Club Rotario de la Asunción de Guatemala; to engage the communities, define the programs and deliver results.
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From January 25-28, CLDP conducted a microgrid energy assessment in Guatemala City and Quiché, Guatemala. While in Guatemala City, CLDP met with key energy stakeholders including distribution and transmission companies, the Association of Renewable Energy Generators, and a private company providing solar energy kits for single homes as well as isolated systems for larger consumers. In these meetings, CLDP sought to gauge interest from the private sector in microgrids as well as analyze the barriers to catalyzing private financing into this sector. For this project, CLDP will provide technical assistance on developing legal and regulatory frameworks to incentivize the use of microgrids to the governments of both Guatemala and Honduras.
Guatemala, in contrast to Honduras, presents a mature energy market. Guatemala''s energy generation exceeds demand, and approximately 60% of generation comes from renewable sources. On Feb. 27-28, the CLDP delegation traveled outside of Guatemala City to visit the Xacbal hydroelectric power plant, one of the largest in Guatemala. Despite an installed capacity of 94MW, however, many of the rural communities surrounding the dam have no access to the energy generated there. In fact, around 10% of homes in Guatemala are not connected to the national grid.
Funding from this project comes from the Department of State as part of the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America, a bipartisan, multi-year U.S. government plan promoting institutional reforms and addressing developmental challenges in the region. This project is one of three that CLDP is implementing in the region in support of the Strategy''s aim to protect American citizens by addressing the security, governance, and economic drivers of illegal immigration and illicit trafficking, while increasing opportunities for U.S. and other businesses.
GT,Guatemala,Guatemala City,01005
A California-based microgrid and digital control technology firm has been entrusted with installing clean energy and digitally transformational facilities at women-led community centers in Guatemala.
New Sun Road was selected to deliver the projects by Guatemala''s National Secretariat of Science and Technology (Senacyt) acting on a U.S. Trade and Development Agency technical assistance grant. Under the funding, New Sun Road will install solar-powered digital community centers in 10 communities unconnected to the internet and sometimes the electric power grid in the Central American nation.
The company will validate the business model in the first 10 digital community center (DCC) projects, with the goal of scaling its efforts to another 3,000 rural sites in Guatemala. The DCCs will be powered by solar panels coupled with battery storage and microgrid control systems.
New Sun Road will train women to manage the facilities and educate their local communities in digital skills, according to the USTDA announcement.
"This project reflects USTDA''s commitment to partner with Guatemala on its digital access priorities through collaboration with U.S. industry," Enoh T. Ebong, director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, said in the statement. "It will also empower women to lead the delivery of critical services to their communities."
New Sun Road deploys microgrid operating systems, Internet of Things controllers and solar and battery on-site power configurations. The company, founded only nine years ago, has projects in more than 20 countries, including several in Central and South America.
Ongoing work to install digital community centers throughout Guatemala helps empower women in remote communities by developing digital leadership toolsand business skills, as well as providing gender-based violence awareness.
"New Sun Road is committed to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and increase access for remote communities in Guatemala," CEO Adrienne Pierce said. "We thank USTDA for funding this assistance and are proud to contribute our own resources toward advancing and scaling the digital community centers."
The company has installed its technology on microgrid and telecom projects in Puerto Rico, Congo, Kenya, Cameroon, Pakistan and Nepal, among others. New Sun Road has extensive partnerships on projects in the U.S. and Mexico.
The women-led digital community centers are a focus of USTDA''s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure. Since 2021, the agency has funded more than 60 activities aimed at unlocking about $70 billion in climate-focused financing for energy and transportation projects in developing and middle-income countries, according to the USTDA.
Senacyt''s mission in Guatemala, meanwhile, is to promote science and technology initiatives to raise the nation''s development standards.
"USTDA and New Sun Road are like-minded partners, and we deeply appreciate our partnership with them," Ana Chan, secretary of Senacyt, said. "Together, we will make a difference in the lives of many thousands of Guatemalans."
Guatemala, Central America''s most populous nation, ranks relatively low on the global economic scale with an average gross domestic product of about $9,800 per capita (compared to $20,000 per-capita GDP for Mexico), according to U.S. News and World Report. Despite its relative lack of wealth, the country already generates much of its power sector from non-fossil resources such as geothermal, hydropower, biofuels and renewables.
In October 2021, New Sun Road detailed its work installing 10 resiliency microgrids in the villages within the Guatemalan Highlands. The microgrids featured solar power and New Sun Road''s Stellar IS systems.
For Microgrid Knowledge editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].
I''ve spent the last 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company''s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023.
I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 33-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future.
Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.
The microgrid industry has been busy — there was no shortage of projects to choose from. In fact, our initial list netted twice what we needed. Since it''s 2022 not 2044, we had to do some serious culling.
We chose these projects for their innovation, ability to serve as models and demonstration of microgrid benefits. You are welcome to add microgrid projects you''d choose in the comments section below.
1. San Diego and Shell New Energies move forward on 8 microgrids
Smart cities are increasingly embracing microgrids. With microgrids already in place at its port, zoo and two military bases, San Diego is now pursuing eight microgrids for city facilities. The microgrids will include solar, storage and electric vehicle charging. Candice Yu, Shell New Energies business development advisor, and Lindsey Hawes, San Diego''s municipal energy program manager, talked about the project at our Microgrid California forum in October. You can watch it here.
2. Montgomery County''s electric bus depot microgrid under construction
Montgomery County, Maryland, is another smart jurisdiction. Within commuting distance to the nation''s capital, the county already has microgrids at correctional and public safety facilities. Now it''s building a 5.6 MW microgrid with distributed energy generation, energy storage and over 2 MW of charging capacity at the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot. AlphaStruxure, a joint venture between Schneider Electric and the Carlyle Group, designed and will build and deliver the project for the county, using an energy-as-a-service model that doesn''t require the county to make upfront payments. The county wants to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 and the microgrid is part of the plan to get it there.
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