THE LOCAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT: A CUBAN

EXPERIMENT WHERE THE PEOPLE MANAGE IT OWN

DEVELOPMENT
Prof. Dr. Conrado Moreno
Center for Study of Renewable Energy Technology
(CETER)
Cuban Society for Renewable Energy Promotion
(CUBASOLAR)

CUBA

INDEX
1.Current energy situation in Cuba.
2. Policy for Development of the Renewable Energy Sources and Energy
Efficiency
3. Current status of Community Power in Cuba
4.Some examples of the concept of community power in cuba
5. Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative focused to solve its energy
problems
management of renewable energy sources
5. Users biogs movement(UBM)
6. Popular assessment of wind potential in the urban community
Alamar.

The current energy situation in Cuba is characterized by:

A
high
dependence
on
imported fossil fuels, which
represents a permanent risk to
the country, both from the
economic and the strategic
point of view.

Low utilization of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The FRE

electricity production is approx. 4%.
Low efficiency related o the use of energy carriers which involves
high production costs and energy consumption
High cost per kWh generated

Prospect development of Renewable Energy Sources and

Efficient use of Energy.
The Council of Ministers and the National Assembly approved the Policy
for Development of the Renewable Energy Sources and Energy
Efficiency and its Implementation Schedule, Period 2014-2030.

Projection
13 Wind Farms: 633 MW
Solar Photovoltaic farms: 700 MW
19 Sugar Cane Biomass Power Plants: 755 MW
74 Small Hydropower Plants: 56 MW

24 %
At 2030

To make use of other potentials

Solar Thermal Energy
Forestry, other Biomass and biogas
Urban Soild Waste
Organic Industrial and Agriculture Waste

4%
Today

RESULTS EXPECTED

24 %
At 2030

4%
Today

Current status of Community Power In

Cuba
CENTRALISATION

DECENTRALISATION

Some barriers to the introduction of the RES are specifically related to the Cuban
reality.
First, policies of economic and energy development have traditionally been
centralized and have been focused on large scale projects.

Current status of Community Power In

Cuba
CENTRALISATION

DECENTRALISATION

Many experts agree that at least part of the energy future of Cuba can
settle in electricity generation through forms of decentralized management,
cooperatives and from local initiative

Current status of Community Power In

Cuba
CENTRALISATION

DECENTRALISATION

One of the central aspects of the reforms that the Cuban government is driving is
decentralisation, devolving more powers to the local level.
Initiatives are taking off in neighbourhoods and municipalities nationwide in the
towns and in the country - promoting a new kind of citizens participation:
decisions are being made from the bottom up.
Several international organizations is supporting a range of experiments using
this innovative process in Cuba, which until very recently was predominantly a
centrally planned system.

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE CONCEPT OF

COMMUNITY POWER IN CUBA

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for solving its

energy needs

Movement of biogas users

Popular assessment of wind potential in the urban

community Micro X in the Alamar District, Havana

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for solving

its energy needs
Pedro Pi is a town
located in Mayabeque
Province in Cuba, some
23 km South-East of
Havana, the country's
capital city.

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its nees

In Pedro Pi has developed a

Pilot Experience of Renewable
Energy Sources Application in
Local Production
Chains in Cuba called:
Energy in Cuba: Local
initiative for solving its energy
needs

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
Pedro Pi has 1200 inhabitants
They and the municipal
institutions of San Jos de Lajas,
were the beneficiaries of the
project.
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:
Local government, local
population, CUBAENERGA,
Agrarian University of Havana and
the Italian NGO Gruppo di
Volontariato Civile (GVC).

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
Objectives

to contribute to the
dissemination of RES

to promote energy savings

of domestic consumption
level

to develop a small local

industry

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
The project is experimental
and has a strong research
component that has been
developed through
collaboration with the
Agrarian University of
Havana

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs

A group of people were

selected to function as
community facilitators.

An environmental
education classroom was
created

And a diagnosis of the

town was developed

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs

The development plans

were based on a
territorial planning of the
community, in order to
include the greatest
possible number of
beneficiaries in the design
of their own territory and
encourage the citizen
ownership

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
At this moment, as a result of
this Project, the population of
Pedro Pi community has:
domestic solar water
heaters
photovoltaic applications
demonstrations of passive
use of solar energy,
solar dryers
and efficient wood stoves in
social objectives

).

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
The production chains that
benefited from these activities
were:
breeding pigs (rationalization of
the production system and use
of waste)
agriculture (application of
environmental technologies and
drying surplus)
And industry (production of solar
heaters)

Community Pedro Pi: A local initiative for

solving its energy needs
One of the actions carried
out was take advantage of
the sun to produce
electricity through the
installation of photovoltaic
panels in schools and other
public buildings. The same
members of the community
performed the installation of
the equipment.

Biogas users movement (BUM)

DEFINITION
Movement organized in territories able
to generate local projects and actions
related to biogas technology, from
synergies with local actors, training
experts and building-site plants, in
addition to advising and accompanying
local processes and introduction and
development of biogas technology in
Cuba

Biogas users movement (BUM)

DEFINITION
Movement Users Biogas (MUB) is a voluntary and
solidarity Cuban group linked to biogas technology
for application, promotion and development, as a link
in a sustainable socio-environmental culture

Biogas users movement

OBJECTIVE:
Sustain the living conditions of the population by
applying anaerobic systems for the utilization of
organic waste (and other renewable energy
sources). "

Biogas users movement

HOW THE MOVEMENTS WORK?

Under support of municipal and provincial governments

With the own resources of the territory

With self-management of its members

Using obtained funds from different national and

international organizations for developing local projects

MAIN OBJECTIVE

Sustain the living conditions

of the population by
applying anaerobic systems
for the utilization of organic
waste (and other renewable
energy sources). "

"

Biogas users movement

ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED

Technical advice to different bodies related to the topic

Systematic training to users of biogs
Teaching courses and theoretical and practical workshops
Creating circles of interest in schools among the students
Collaboration with various institutions within and outside the country
Consulting the private sector and cooperatives
Construction of biodigesters directly with beneficiaries
Preparation of plans, articles, brochures, manuscripts, books, etc.
Development of experimental test fields (biogas plants with different designs and
uses),
National meetings of biogas users

"

Benefits to users
The use of biogs contribuites to increase the life level of
rural family:
Savings of about 40% of the energy demand at home,
Providing biofertilizers
Treatment of waste of organic origin, which can cause
contamination and disease ".

"

Biogas users movement

ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED

Technical advice to different bodies related to the topic

Systematic training to users of biogs
Teaching courses and theoretical and practical workshops
Creating circles of interest in schools among the students
Collaboration with various institutions within and outside the country
Consulting the private sector and cooperatives
Construction of biodigesters directly with beneficiaries
Preparation of plans, articles, brochures, manuscripts, books, etc.
Development of experimental test fields (biogas plants with different designs and
uses),
National meetings of biogas users

"

Beneficiares
Amounting to more than 3,000 users of biogas in the country
Farmers
Rural families
Community leaders,
Builders,
Technicians and engineers,
Researchers,
Policy makers
Experts from institutions, etc.

Construction of biodigesters directly with

beneficiaries

CONCLUSIONS
The MUB has a novelty given by his popular support
It was a project that became popular movement with the use of science,
technology and popular ingenuity, it has contributed to the formation of
values and human resources in the context of "art of biogas in Cuba";
It has contributed decisively in the necessary popular culture towards
the progressive development of biogas in Cuba.
Many solutions emerged from the popular innovation that led to the
solution to many material shortages and multiple difficulties
In many Cuban countryside and rural zones, rustic stoves characterized
by the diversity of designs emerged from the popular talent begin to
appear

Popular assessment of wind potential in

the urban community Alamar.
The objective of this project was to evaluate the
wind potential in Alamar district using the
popular initiative and with the participation of
the citizens. It was focused on energizing social
objects (schools, hospitals and others) using
small wind turbines given the proximity to the
coast and good exposure to the wind of this
area.

ALAMAR DISCTRICT

Alamar, also named AlamarPlaya,[1] is a district in east part of

the city of La Habana in Cuba, part
of the municipio of Habana del
Este

It is located in the periphery of

the Havana city

Popular assessment of wind potential in

the urban community Alamar.
Governamental
sector
Workshop for
Neighborhood
Integrated
Transformation
TTIB

Participants:

Center for Study of Renewable

Energy Technologies,CETER (1
professor)

Innovative center CUBANERGIA (1

researcher)

WORKSHOP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD

INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION
(TTIB), Alamar Este, (4 workers)

8 local residents

Academic sector
CETER

Alamar
Project
wind
assessment

Local residents

Scientif sector
CUBAENERGIA

Popular assessment of wind potential in

the urban community Alamar.
WORKSHOPS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD
INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION (TTIB)
Workshops for Neighborhood
Integrated Development (TTIB) are
subordinated to Group for Integrated
Development of the Capital (GDIC)
belonging to the Institute for Physical
Planning (IPF)
This is an experience of sustainable
and participatory planning in some
areas of the City of Havana

Institute for Physical

Planning (IPF)

Group for Integrated

Development of the
Capital (GDIC)

Workshops for
Neighborhood Integrated
Development (TTIB

Popular assessment of wind potential in

the urban community Alamar.
THE WORKSHOPS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD
INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION
These workshops are small
interdisciplinary teams of architects,
designers, sociologists and social
workers ranging from 3 to 8 peopleand most of them also live in the same
neighborhood- trying to mix the
physical improvement with social,
environmental and cultural
development of the community

Popular assessment of wind potential in

the urban community Alamar.
THE WORKSHOPS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION

Its basic function is to advise the population and the local

government for the implementation of actions of physical,
environmental and social improvement

Popular assessment of wind potential in the

urban community Alamar.

This process was developed in the community of Micro X in Alamar district,

Havana city in 2011 during 6 months

It was led by WORKSHOP OF NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION

(TTIB) of East Alamar and was accompanied by two experts: a professor at the
Center for the Study of Technology Renewable energy of Technological
University of Havana and a specialist in local development of CUBAENERGA.

Popular assessment of wind potential in the

urban community Alamar.

The objective of the process was to

develop an evaluation of the wind
potential at a site of Micro 10 in
which the community is the

protagonist
Two training workshops were given
to a team compose mainly of
retirees of the community and
members of TTIB
Over 50% of the team were college
graduates

This team was called by the TTIB.

STEP OF THE PROCESS

The local team identified the
observation site advised by the
experts.
To divide the team in two groups,
each of them with its leader.
To arrange a work schedule for the
measurements in the selected site,
acording to the methodology
proposed by the experts.

THE END OF THE PROCESS

After the phase measurements, the

experts developed a program to
process the data focuses on
estimate the wind potential of the
month which was compared with the
data from the Meteorological Station,
located in the same municipality. By
this way the team could estimate
the potential annual point evaluated

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to organize this project in other districts of

Alamar, the capital and in other provinces

With minor investments it is possible to carry out the

estimation of wind speed (urban or rural) sites where
neighbors are the main actors

The values of wind measurements (over 4 m / s) allow

preliminarily ensure that it is possible to use wind power in the
neighborhood for the electrification of social objects with small
wind turbines

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION