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Lightweight Innovation, Lasting Impact: Solar Energy for Peru’s Remote Schools and Homes

S-5! partners with Canadian charity, Light Up The World, to bring sustainable electricity and internet to remote villages in Peru.

The Challenge

While attending a small solar event in Calgary, Aaron Cohen, Executive Director of Light Up The World (LUTW), was on a mission to find better solutions for his solar projects located in some of the most remote parts of Peru. As he spoke to the S-5! team, he believed that their technology finally addressed the logistical challenges his team had long faced. It was a breakthrough moment—offering new possibilities for delivering renewable energy to communities once considered unreachable.

Project Stats

The off-grid school in Huarcaya lacked access to sustainable electricity and internet connectivity, making it difficult to support digital learning—especially after dark or during overcast days. Phase I included the installation of 18 solar panels donated by Silfab Solar® 370 Wp (6.66 kWp), 15 kWh of lithium battery storage, 9 kW three-phase power and the solar mounting system donated by S-5!

In Phase II, students from the Latin American Observatory of Geopolitics of Energy (UNILA) raised funds for the project with LUTW leading the project execution to electrify 40 homes. Each home received one 370 Wp solar module, one lithium-ion battery, one charger controller, one inverter and an electrical cabinet—impacting more than 250 residents. The team utilized the CorruBracket™ 500T and PVKIT for the specific corrugated metal roof profile.

400

PVKIT rail-less solar mounts

120

Protea Bracket attachments

120

CorruBracket 500T attachments

250+

Residents directly impacted 

The Solution

With limited information available about the roof profile, the team utilized the Protea™ Bracket—since the brackets could be adjusted to fit any trapezoidal metal roof profile—and the PVKIT® railless solar mounting system. Compared to a traditional rail system, this approach reduced the roof load by 85%, which was critical given the limited structural support beneath the roof.

The solar installation process was made more efficient utilizing a rail-less mounting method. This innovative approach allowed for significant reductions in both transportation costs and installation time. By eliminating the need for preassembly of the attachments, the rail-less method cut installation time by an impressive 50%, allowing the solar installation to be completed quickly and efficiently.

85 %

Reduced roof load

50 %

Less labor required

50 %

Faster installation time 

Light Up the World - Image 1
Light Up the World - Image 2

“The number one impact is simply having light at night. When the sun sets at 6 p.m., these communities go completely dark. Now, they have a reliable energy system that will serve them for the next 20 to 25 years—supporting education, health and productivity. Students and teachers shared how wonderful it was to finally have light in the evening—and how transformative the internet access has been. They can now communicate with nearby cities and loved ones. Many told us they were ‘without words.’ They’re confident this will greatly improve education and strengthen the entire community.”

Aaron Cohen

| Executive Director of LUTW

Download Full Case Study

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