Renewable Energy
for the
Developing World
Site Wiring Diagram
Site Histrory:This system was originally installed by Solar Energy International in 2004. It was the first solar electric system in the village of Mastatal. The system provided lights for Maria to work in the evenings, and eliminated much of her need for firewood for this purpose. Since Maria is one of the village elders, friends and family members frequently come to visit and socialize in addition to seeking her services as a traditional healer. Maria told us that after the solar system was installed, she received many more visitors who would come in the evenings so that they could see “la luz”.
Installation at Dona Maria's
Dona Maria is one of the village elders in Mastatal. Her family moved to Mastatal when she was two years old in 1924.
Her parents were homesteaders who cleared areas of the rainforest to bring agriculture to the area. Dona Maria practices traditional medicine and cultivates many plants on her property for herbal remedies. Many of the plants on the property serve dual purposes.For example, Maria grows coconut, banana, and carambola (star fruit) on the property all of which provide edible fruit, while other parts of the plant can be used for medicinal purposes. During our visit, Maria explained that the leaves of the banana tree can be used with a mixture of other traditional plants to treat back pain.
When we met Maria, she told us that when her family first built this house in Mastatal, they had to sleep on the roof at night. 
The jungle was so thick, that the family was afraid that a jaguar might sneak up on them in the middle of the night and attack one of the small children. It was not until she was older that the the family had cleared away enough of the forst growth, and they had acquired a family dog to patrol to perimeter that they felt safe enough for the children to sleep on the lower level of the house.