May 28, 2026
Psychiatric hospital in Matanzas
Solar energy is no longer a distant promise in Matanzas; it is a tangible reality that is spreading across healthcare institutions, care centers, and vital services. A recent example is the installation of solar panels at the Antonio Guiteras Psychiatric Hospital, an initiative by non-state economic actors that ensures a more comfortable environment for the center’s 70 patients.
“Thank you is too short a word to express the gratitude of so many,” said Anisley Fuentes Crespo, coordinator of Programs and Objectives for the Provincial Government, on her social media. The gesture, however, is part of a broader strategy to transform the province’s energy matrix, where renewable energy sources already benefit essential health services, water supply, and telecommunications.
A total of 84 photovoltaic solar panel systems have been installed in Matanzas to ensure the operation of medical services, the Provincial Health Directorate reported last March. The Psychiatric Hospital joins the list of healthcare centers that, in the face of the complex national energy situation, keep their vital areas protected thanks to distributed generation. The strategy has also prioritized maternity homes, nursing homes, senior centers, and polyclinics.
The penetration of renewable sources in Matanzas is not limited to social projects. The province now has several photovoltaic solar parks that supply clean energy to the National Electric Power System (SEN). These projects are part of a plan to incorporate 50 solar parks totaling 21.8 MW across the country, which would add more than 1,000 MW of maximum installed capacity.
While solar parks strengthen generation on a national scale, municipalities are seeing a proliferation of alternatives to protect essential services. Copextel Matanzas is implementing a program to install self-consumption systems with storage, designed to guarantee electricity service in socially critical locations: maternity homes, hospital and polyclinic emergency rooms, popular savings banks, and local radio stations. These systems, with capacities of up to 2 kWh, maintain medical emergency services, lighting, and communication equipment during emergencies.
In addition, more than 40 water pumping units with photovoltaic systems have been installed in the province to stabilize the water supply. The Water and Sewerage Company has completed 80 percent of the installation of hybrid and fully solar-powered pumps, and once the planned 67 units are completed, some 30,000 people will receive the direct benefit.
Source: Periodico Giron, translation Resumen Latinoamericno – English