GRANTEE
acciona.org Panamá
In Panama, acciona.org works to improve the living conditions of low-income people and communities through basic access to modern forms of energy. In Panama’s Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Territory, the organization provides household energy access alongside community digital connectivity and business infrastructure to support livelihoods, reducing multidimensional poverty and improving social inclusion.
Focus & Impact
Remote Indigenous communities experience wide gaps in energy access. Fewer than half of homes in Ngäbe-Buglé have an electricity source for lighting, and only a small percentage receive electricity from a distribution company. Communities are small, dispersed, and difficult to reach. The economy is based largely on subsistence farming, and only 7% of residents have home internet access.
Affordable solar energy can help bridge the gap. The project expands acciona.org Panamá’s successful model of bringing electricity directly to households through simple, affordable solar home systems. In addition, a new solar power system, equipment, and technical training for a local cooperative aim to improve farmers’ post-harvest processing, boosting incomes. A second solar power system for a community center will provide internet access and digital literacy courses.
Building on a proven service model. Since 2018, the organization’s Luz en Casa (Light at Home) model, in which families prepay at local, mostly women-run service centers, has brought electricity to more than 6,500 households in the region. These centers also offer local support, spare parts, and appliances. The model has demonstrated its capacity to ensure the continuity and sustainability of interventions beyond the project cycle.
Project Funded
Energy Corps is funding acciona.org Panamá in the Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Territory to bring affordable solar-powered electricity to off-grid households and community centers over 18 months. By the end of the project, 800 people are expected to have electricity at home for the first time. 1,460 people will have access to internet connectivity, and more than 40 coffee producers will benefit from reliable electricity, equipment, and training to improve product quality and incomes.
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
EC + acciona.org Panamá: WHY IT MATTERS
Energy Corps’ support for acciona.org Panamá shows the promise of distributed energy solutions to provide affordable, reliable electricity for rural off-grid families. By extending a proven household-level model to a coffee cooperative and a community center, this partnership is empowering the first step for the community’s shift from energy poverty toward energy prosperity, fostering socioeconomic progress.
Visit acciona.org Panamá
