Energy for Argentina’s poor

mueserk — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:31:01 +0000

Getting access to enough energy for heating and electricity is a struggle for people living in Argentina’s poorer communities.

Diego Musolino, 31, has designed a solar water heater which he hopes will provide a cheap, renewable solution, while at the same time reducing his country’s carbon footprint. He co-founded the non-profit Energizar Foundation, which works to help solve social problems by using alternative energy.

Listen to the report by Eilís O’Neill in Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Diego Musolino (left) explains to Pablo Uviedo how to fill the solar water heater. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

Mabel Uviedo laughs as she prepares Argentina’s traditional mate tea for the Energizar Foundation’s employees and volunteers. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

Diego (center) and two volunteers assemble the solar water heater in the Uviedos’ backyard. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

The Uviedos have seven children, who range in age from three to 17. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

The solar water heater, constructed entirely from materials made in Argentina, can heat water to about 50°C (122 degrees Fahrenheit). (Photo: E. O’Neill)

Diego explains his next project: to install solar panels on homes in this shantytown so that residents will have light even during one of the area’s frequent electricity outages. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

The Uviedos live in a shantytown in Pilar, on the outskirts of greater Buenos Aires. (Photo: E. O’Neill)

South America – Generation Change

Energy for Argentina’s poor