Six years after the installation of the solar panels in Creative Handicrafts’ main building, the investment in the unit, sponsored by the Isabel Martin Foundation, has been recovered. Between 70 to 80 percent of the energy requirement is met by solar panels, making it an efficient development of the social enterprise’s infrastructure.

This success led the cooperative to the installation of more solar panels that will provide the energy needed in the production units situated in the slum areas. This freed the centres from electricity expenses, generating a further positive impact on the women’s gainings.

The installation of these new solar panels, sponsored by EZA Austria, is expected to meet, around 80 per cent of the energy requirements of the three production centres, the training centre and the creche. In six, or seven years the investment will be paying back thus allowing the cooperative to be more sustainable. 

With a 25-year warranty, solar panels will steer Creative Handicrafts towards sustainability. The use of clean solar energy ensures that the cooperative is evolving to meet its environmental goals and the reduced dependence on electricity companies will benefit the workers since those expenses will be channeled to place new programs and/or push the already existing ones. 

Creative Handicrafts would like to thank, again, EZA Austria and the Isabel Martín Foundation for their support in this project.