At Free Cerveza, our key priority has always been to find new ways to be as eco-friendly as possible. That’s why we decided to take the plunge and invest in high-quality solar panels for our sunny location.
As of October, we’ve installed 24 solar panels at the back of our property. The exciting part is that this is enough to cover most of the electricity needs for both the hostel and our guests.
How does it work?
Our solar panels are connected to the main electricity grid via an inverter. The electricity produced by the solar panels is then sent to the electrical grid for use by other electricity consumers. Free Cerveza then receives a credit for the value of all the power our panels have produced. Our goal is to produce enough electricity to cover our own electrical usage. While we are close to achieving this, the process is also weather-dependent; the sunnier the day, the more power produced by the panels. In a nutshell, this means that all of the beautiful sunshine we receive will help power a greener future at Free Cerveza.
Why Solar?
The main reason we’ve invested in solar panels is that this is an incredible form of renewable energy! These nifty panels allow us to decrease our carbon footprint and begin to shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels.
In addition, we’ve partnered with Albedo Capital, a solar organization dedicated to making renewable energy options affordable for everyone in Guatemala. They do this by spreading the high installation costs over a longer period of time so people can pay off the panels in the same installments as their standard electrical bill usually is.
Guatemala is genuinely the perfect country to begin shifting to solar power. Thanks to our sunshine-filled location close to the equator, we see up to at least 5-6 hours of sunlight, even during the darkest days of the rainy season.
At Free Cerveza, we want to contribute to a better future for our beautiful planet. So we’re always looking for innovative new ways to make our business more environmentally friendly. Check out the other eco measures we’ve taken, and feel free to send us a message if you have any creative ideas you think we could adopt!
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