Will Cuba get more solar energy by 2030?

By 2030, the country aims to generate more than a third of its electricity from solar parks and other renewable sources. Cuba on Friday unveiled a new solar energy park in the capital Havana, part of an ambitious project to alleviate the communist island's increasingly desperate struggle with power blackouts.

Is there a problem with solar power in Cuba?

Another hurdle for the expansion of solar power in the residential sector lies in the electricity tariff subsidy, which is charged in a devalued currency. According to official figures, around six percent of the more than four million households in Cuba consume more than 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month.

Why is Cuba struggling to pay for electricity?

Under a US trade embargo since the 1960s and battling its worse economic crisis in decades, the country also uses floating electric plants rented from Turkish companies, and generators fueled by crude oil Cuba is struggling to pay for.

What's going on with Cuba's power supply?

The dire state of Cuba's power generation infrastructure, largely dependent on oil from Venezuela, has seen the country of 10 million people struggle with near daily outages in some regions in recent months. In some provinces, electricity access is limited to a few hours a day.

How much of Cuba's electricity is based on fossil fuels?

About 95 percent of Cuba’s electricity generation relies on fossil fuels. For that to change would mean major investment.

Could solar panels be a solution to the energy crisis?

Large consumers in the residential sector could find in the installation of solar panels a way to offset the amount of their energy bill through cogeneration for self-consumption or receive a payment for injecting clean energy into the national power grid. CREDIT: Jorge Luis Baños / IPS