The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) benefited more than 170 community members in the town of Arroyo Santiago, Miches municipality, El Seibo province, by electrifying 34 homes with the installation of solar panels through the Techo Solar program.
This project was carried out with an economic investment of RD 1,863,249.45 and includes the installation of 34 photovoltaic panels and the same amount of inverters, chargers and 20 amp solar charge regulators. It will also have 68 lead acid batteries, 13.09 kwp of installed power, internal electrification of each house and other accessories.
This initiative is part of the Solar Roofs program, which seeks to electrify rural areas of the country, developed by the Directorate of Rural and Suburban Electrification (DERS) under the responsibility of the Vice Ministry of Energy headed by engineer Rafael Gómez.
The Vice-Minister of Energy, Rafael Gómez, said that, as a ministry, they have a presidential mandate to take electric energy to all the communities of the country, regardless of their location. He said that, currently, they have in execution 60 rural electrification projects scattered throughout the nation, of which 12 are in their final phase.
“This project which, although the amount is small, has a great impact for this community. There are 34 houses that went from darkness to light, with solar energy, which reduces the carbon footprint for a more sustainable future,” he said.
For his part, Víctor Mercedes, a resident of Arroyo Santiago, said that the electrification of the houses marks a before and after in the place, since previously their mechanism for lighting their homes was with lamps, candles and wicks.
“The arrival of electricity for the first time in this community has given a radical change to this small town, since now you can cool off with a fan, cool water in the refrigerator and watch television”, said the community member Ana Luisa Medina, who thanked the President and the Minister Antonio Almonte for the installation of the electric service in the place.
Likewise, the senator of the province of El Seibo, Santiago Zorrilla, indicated that the electrification of the communities is part of the commitment assumed by the current administration and that the community members benefited with the electric service will not have to leave their place because they already have lighting in their homes. “That is why I came to this activity, because I had to witness this dream come true after years of waiting and I wanted to see the happy faces of you when your houses are illuminated”, said the legislator.
At the end of the inauguration of the work, blessed by the deacon of Miches Jacobo Payano, a vigilance committee was sworn in, which will be in charge of verifying and following up the good functioning of the project.
Also present at the activity were: Francisco Cornelio, director of the DERS; Luz María Mercedes, mayor of Miches; Valerio Leonardo, deputy-elect; Rafael Rodríguez, district director of La Gina, and Isis Zorrilla, district director of El Cedro.
Source:Presidencia.gob.do
