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.

“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.