The Project
Rural Panama Micro/Smart Power Grid Sustainability Initiative Proposal

The Client
SES Renewables is partnering with the U.S. Panama Business Council, NSolar, and PROPANAMA to study the feasibility and implementation of micro/smart grids in rural Panama to provide clean electricity to underserved communities with no access to the national power grid. The study has been proposed to the USTDA for funding.

The Challenge
Approximately 93,000 families, representing 7% of Panama’s population, do not have access to electricity. A majority of these Panamanians are indigenous people living in extreme poverty, a condition made even worse by the lack of electricity and the inability to access the internet. By deploying micro/smart grid systems, Panama’s indigenous communities can gain access to permanent, clean, and renewable energy where power delivery is challenging, costly, and unreliable.

The Solution
SES Renewables and our partners have proposed to design and build micro/smart grids with US-sourced components to guarantee permanent, clean, and renewable energy to several of Panama’s indigenous communities currently without access to electricity. Once the project is granted funding by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, it will lead to a more stable, sustainable, climate-friendly, and equitable electrical distribution system for the people of Panama.

The Initiative
SES Renewables’ proposal calls to:

• Determine the feasibility of using clean-sourced energy and micro/smart grids to provide electricity to underserved communities within Panama.
• Study the impact of micro/smart grids on Panamanian life and the natural environment, and assess potential locations for pilot grids
• Design energy storage solutions that will provide a stable power source at all times and in all seasons.
• Estimate the economic cost-benefit of wide-spread deployment of micro/smart grids throughout rural Panama.
• Provide technical training to Panamanians in clean energy technologies to provide the workforce necessary to sustain clean energy infrastructure.

The Impact
Should the project be funded, the information gathered on the feasibility of microgrids for this region will be used for further roll-out to more rural communities, resulting in the following:

• Increase power reliability in parts of Panama with limited or no consistent electricity, allowing for improved access to education and healthcare, and connecting communities with other communities. This initiative will do so without the need for large scale infrastructure construction that can destroy native rainforests and cause irreparable harm to the natural environment of Panama.
• Provide equitable services to the indigenous population of Panama including healthcare, education and jobs, while maintaining traditions and preserving the lands of their ancestors.
  Provide resilience to the electrical power grid in Panama and prevent black-outs and loss of power at critical facilities.
• Reduce fossil-fuel emissions from and reliance on coal and oil-fired power plants.
• Improve air quality across Panama through the expanded use of clean energy sources and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

At SES Renewables, we are a passionate, multidisciplinary team of expert problem-solvers ready to tackle your most challenging technical problems. We pride ourselves on our innovative engineering solutions, which elevate the way businesses operate. Since 1972, we have provided forward-thinking solutions for companies and industries requiring in-depth technical knowledge and proven performance in engineering design and analysis, thermal and fluid sciences, instrumentation, and testing.