The energy of the King Star is not only harnessed in this province through photovoltaic parks; it is also used in pumping stations, for public lighting, and in homes.
Cienfuegos. – Although, of course, due to its vital importance, the four large photovoltaic solar fields in the province are the most promoted, in Cienfuegos the commitment to the sun is accompanied, in parallel, by other projects that also contribute to the necessary alternative of prioritizing renewable energies for Cuba’s development.
None of these projects is insignificant, no matter how small the load they provide may be, because the sum of many contributes to generating more energy in multiple areas, with the intrinsic benefit of improving the quality of life for the communities, institutions, or households that are favored.
WATER PUMPING
The use of solar panels for the water pumping system had its beginnings in Cienfuegos, with the installation of the first such equipment in the San Marcos settlement, in Lajas.
Later, population groups in Las Pitas and La Reforma, also in the municipality of Lajas, benefited. Meanwhile, in Cumanayagua, the communities of Gaviña and Vega Vieja were served, followed by the completion of this initiative in the sugarcane town of 5 de Septiembre, in the municipality of Rodas.
The energy matrix change program in Cienfuegos, in its first phase, included the installation of 63 pumping stations with motors under 10 kilowatts (kW) of power in places without motor pumps or where water was supplied by tanker trucks.
Most of them were in the municipalities of Lajas, Aguada, and Abreus, resulting in a common saving of 780 kWh (kilowatt-hours) and benefiting over 20,000 people.
The largest of these systems was allocated in 2023 to the community of Real Campiña, in Aguada de Pasajeros, with 64 photovoltaic modules and a capacity of 20 liters per second (L/s). However, most systems consist of six panels with a capacity of 6 L/s.
Mayra Águila, an operator in Campo de Tiro, said the change is significant because, unlike the other pump, this one is automatic and works whenever the well has water and there is sunlight.
This advantage means that the 215 houses in the area have access to service for much longer periods.
Lajas is one of the areas in Cienfuegos with the greatest problems related to the water table. That is why the replacement of pumping systems in the wells known as Acopio 1 and 2 was so well received, with the installation of 24 panels that converted solar energy into electricity to power the motors.
Belonging to the popular council of Pepito Tey, in the provincial capital, the Quesada settlement was fortunate to have its pumping station included among those designated for the energy matrix change. About 178 homes benefited from the transformation. What once seemed like a dream became a reality: access to water for eight hours, provided there is sunlight.
In the community of Espartaco, in the municipality of Palmira, residents experienced a similar situation. Ileana Veitía González, operator of the pumping station there, stated that the implementation of the energy matrix change represents a great benefit. She indicated that using solar panels helps save electricity and brings satisfaction to the community. The new technology supplies water to 895 consumers, including students and workers of the Juan B. Jiménez Polytechnic Institute.
NIPPON SOLIDARITY IN ABREUS
In March 2025, Nakamura Kazuhito, the Ambassador of Japan to Cuba, inaugurated a project in the municipality of Abreus through which more than 1,200 inhabitants of the communities of Carmelina, Guasimal, San Ignacio, and Mijalito now receive potable water.
The initiative, funded by the Asian nation, cost more than 63,000 euros and was implemented in coordination with the Spanish non-governmental development organization Mundubat and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH).
It involved the installation of four water pumps powered by photovoltaic solar panels, as well as an equal number of dosing units.
Now, pumping stations like the one installed in Mijalito operate even when there is no electrical power in the area, and photovoltaic solar energy makes it possible to supply the precious liquid to the population.
SOLAR ELECTROPUMPS IN EL ESCAMBRAY
In August 2025, the Cuba–Switzerland Vilma Espín Solidarity Committee donated a solar electropump to the artistic collective Teatro de los Elementos, located in El Jobero, within the municipality of Cumanayagua, in the Guamuhaya Massif.
The technology aimed to optimize access to water for 87 families and support two hectares of community gardens linked to the Jobero Verde Arte y Vida project.
According to José Oriol González, director of the theater group, the solution eliminates dependence on fossil fuels and strengthens the food self-sustainability of the prestigious performing arts institution, freeing up resources for its artistic creations, which involve in one way or another the 210 inhabitants of the area.
PANELS AT HOME, A GREAT ADVANTAGE
Around 470 representatives from the Education and Health sectors were selected in the province to purchase solar panel modules for their homes with payment facilities—a decision that has earned much praise within both sectors and is hoped to expand within these and other areas.
With a long teaching career of more than 42 years (retired and reinstated), teacher Gonzalo González from the municipality of Abreus is one of the beneficiaries.
The dedicated educator expressed his gratitude to the sector's management and the Cuban government for considering him and never forgetting those who work for their people. Beyond the savings and convenience, Gonzalo saw the panels as an endorsement of his outstanding work.
CHANGE OF ENERGY MATRIX IN PUBLIC LIGHTING
One of the visible pillars of the energy matrix transformation in Cienfuegos is the program to replace public lighting with solar lamps, implemented on main streets such as San Fernando Boulevard, Prado, 56th Avenue (San Carlos), José Martí Park, and Villuendas Park.
The installation, carried out mid-last year, of 78 solar lamps by the Cienfuegos municipal government (18 of 500 W and 60 of 1,000 W) represents a total power of 69 kW.
With an average of ten hours of daily service, these lamps generate an approximate saving of 690 kWh per day and 25,185 kWh per year.
Considering a generation cost of $0.25 per kWh, the estimated annual savings exceed $65,000.
CONTINUOUS CONSTRUCTION OF PARKS
After the completion of the fourth photovoltaic solar park of 21.87 megawatts (MW), located in the locality of Pepe Rivas, the province will begin assembling a new one, with a capacity of 5 MW and situated in the CEN–Juraguá area, as part of the Chinese donation of 120 MW, which will include a 2 MW battery for nighttime supply.
Salvador Vera Hernández, Director of Projects at the Provincial Electrical Company, explained that Cienfuegos plans another group of four parks, each of 21.87 MW, reaching a total of eight large installations of this type.
If approximately 18 MW from previously built small parks are added, along with this recently completed fourth installation in Pepe Rivas, the province has an approximate capacity of 127 MW, which would annually equate to around 41,000 tons of fossil fuels not consumed, according to estimated calculations.
The construction of parks continues in Cienfuegos.
PANELS AT HOME, A GREAT ADVANTAGE
Around 470 representatives from the Education and Health sectors were selected in the province to purchase solar panel modules for their homes with payment facilities—a decision that has earned much praise within both sectors and is hoped to expand within these and other areas.
With a long teaching career of more than 42 years (retired and reinstated), teacher Gonzalo González from the municipality of Abreus is one of the beneficiaries.
The dedicated educator expressed his gratitude to the sector's management and the Cuban government for considering him and never forgetting those who work for their people. Beyond the savings and convenience, Gonzalo saw the panels as an endorsement of his outstanding work.
CHANGE OF ENERGY MATRIX IN PUBLIC LIGHTING
One of the visible pillars of the energy matrix transformation in Cienfuegos is the program to replace public lighting with solar lamps, implemented on main streets such as San Fernando Boulevard, Prado, 56th Avenue (San Carlos), José Martí Park, and Villuendas Park.
The installation, carried out mid-last year, of 78 solar lamps by the Cienfuegos municipal government (18 of 500 W and 60 of 1,000 W) represents a total power of 69 kW.
With an average of ten hours of daily service, these lamps generate an approximate saving of 690 kWh per day and 25,185 kWh per year.
Considering a generation cost of $0.25 per kWh, the estimated annual savings exceed $65,000.
CONTINUOUS CONSTRUCTION OF PARKS
After the completion of the fourth photovoltaic solar park of 21.87 megawatts (MW), located in the locality of Pepe Rivas, the province will begin assembling a new one, with a capacity of 5 MW and situated in the CEN–Juraguá area, as part of the Chinese donation of 120 MW, which will include a 2 MW battery for nighttime supply.
Salvador Vera Hernández, Director of Projects at the Provincial Electrical Company, explained that Cienfuegos plans another group of four parks, each of 21.87 MW, reaching a total of eight large installations of this type.
If approximately 18 MW from previously built small parks are added, along with this recently completed fourth installation in Pepe Rivas, the province has an approximate capacity of 127 MW, which would annually equate to around 41,000 tons of fossil fuels not consumed, according to estimated calculations.
The construction of parks continues in Cienfuegos.
Photo: Julio Martínez Molina
