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By providing photovoltaic (PV) systems and hands-on renewable energy training to off-grid communities, Light Up The World (LUTW), a Canadian-based charity, is improving daily life and empowering communities to build a more reliable and sustainable future. While attending a small solar event in Calgary, Aaron Cohen, Executive Director of 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.
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! for an off-grid school in Huarcaya, Peru. Student volunteers from the study-abroad programs at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), as well as LUTW volunteers worked alongside S-5! technicians to complete the installation.
In Peru, reaching remote communities often requires driving on poorly maintained roads from the nearest city or even taking a small boat along a river.
“Due to extreme weather, it took over 20 hours to reach the village,” said Juan Carlos Fuentes, International Business Director at S-5! “We drove on narrow, icy dirt roads, unable to see the edge of the cliff beside us. Visibility was poor, wild animals roamed the area, and every mile felt more remote than the last. With only a short window each day due to freezing temperatures, snow and limited hours of sunlight, we had to work quickly and efficiently."
Additionally, due to the weak structure of the school’s metal roof, with purlins spaced about four feet apart, a lightweight solution was essential.
In Phase II, the project extended deep in the Peruvian Amazon, where electricity is not just limited, it’s nearly impossible to access—no power lines, no roads. Every piece of equipment had to travel by boat along a tributary of the Amazon River. S-5!’s simple, lightweight rail-less system made transport and installation far more feasible. 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.
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® rail-less 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 not only generated light for the school, but it also powered essential equipment, including computers and other electronics, which had been previously donated. Students can now study after sunset, and teachers can enhance lessons with internet-based resources.
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.
The DirectAttach™ system benefited the structural soundness of the school, and similarly the homes in Alto Mishahua. By eliminating rails, this reduced the load of the mounting system, and the overall weight placed on the substructure, minimizing stress on the building itself.
With one of LUTW’s goals being to empower local technicians to install and maintain the solar PV systems, this method simplified the project. Plus, the ease of installing the PVKIT means future installations in the surrounding area can be installed by community members.
