Solar Projects That Make Us Smile
Last Updated on: 29th June 2025, 11:14 am
Floating by are tangled roots and water lilies. Undulating floodwaters reflect the sky. Treetops drop giant peapods into the water. A few thatched huts, without walls and on stilts, are set just above the muddy water’s edge. It is a day trip for twenty Indigenous people in a traditional river canoe, but there’s one adaptation. The travel on the Kapawari River in the Ecuadorean Amazon is in a solar-powered boat. A source of much local pride, it is one of many solar projects around the world that are harvesting the sun for clean power.
Solar Projects in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Kara Solar began in 2012 as a dream to build a solar-powered boat. They now support a thriving network of solar projects — transport and energy hubs in Achuar territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They’re also beginning to replicate the model with more communities across the Amazon region. The Achuar community now has nine other solar boats operating in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and the Solomon Islands. The vessels have ferried children to schools, transported the sick to clinics, and carried mourners to funerals.
The traditional river canoe has the modification of 24 solar panels that harness sunlight to power an engine. And it’s not the only one: the first solar-powered boat was launched in 2017, with a goal of launching 250 more in the next five years.
The Achuar Indigenous group helped develop and expand the network of solar-powered canoes, which open up possibilities for trips that might not otherwise happen for years. Today, such boats play critical roles in this remote corner of the Amazon. Rivers are an essential link between villages, with travel propelled by the rivers’ shifting currents. The Achuar say creating a sustainable transportation network is a way to take control of their own future, blending ancient traditions with modern solutions.
By optimizing designs, providing technical training, building local supply chains, and facilitating financing, Kara Solar enables Indigenous communities to access, implement, and manage solar transportation and energy systems in their own territories, on their own terms.
This remote region of Ecuador has few roads to connect towns and cities — they’re reachable only by boat. The solar boats are essential to maintain the Indigenous lifestyle and connection to nature. “We don’t want roads here,” Nantu Canelos, the president of Kara Solar, told the New York Times. “Highways destroy communities.” Eventually, Kara Solar would like to elevate the Kapawi River, which is one of the Achuar region’s most important transit links, to be fully powered by solar.
And the solar-powered boats are much cheaper and greener than the diesel-powered boats that have typically been the method of transport on these waterways. In fact, the diesel boats are called “peque peque,” eponymous with the sound of the motor. A 2022 study by an Ecuadorean researcher found that diesel fuel spills had depleted fish stocks, making it harder to fish, which is a major source of livelihood for the Achuar.
Florida Solar Projects for Schools
In Palmetto, Florida, the solar projects at the Manatee School for the Arts are anticipated to be one of the largest rooftop solar installations in state history. It is also the most extensive, using Enphase microinverters produced at its US contract manufacturing facilities. The 2 MW system will use 3,200 IQ8P-3P microinverters, which are estimated to produce over 3,800,000 kWh annually and offset much of the school’s electricity needs for more than 25 years.
Manatee School for the Arts expects to decrease current utility costs by 90% annually, and that will result in an estimated $900,000 in annual savings. The installer company, Tampa Bay Solar, has begun construction and commissioning planned for late June 2025.
Estimates for the project claim it will pay for itself within seven years. The savings will go toward school operational expenses, including plans to expand offerings with new art and dance facilities, and a public dance auditorium that can be used for public events.
“Our goal is a 90% reduction in utility costs, freeing up critical operational budget to enhance educational programs and facilities for the community,” Steve Rutherford, president and founder at Tampa Bay Solar, an installer of Enphase products in Florida, told the Bradenton Times. “Thanks to Enphase microinverters made with domestic content at US factories, the school will access critical federal tax incentives while enjoying reliable and safer operations.”
The microinverters used in this project are part of a new generation of solar technology that offers increased efficiency and safety. Key features include:
- a 25-year warranty for long-term performance;
- a design that eliminates high-voltage DC wiring, enhancing safety;
- compatibility with federal tax incentives tied to domestic manufacturing; and,
- seamless integration with modern roofing and energy storage systems.
Tampa Bay Solar notes on a blog post that US solar power is experiencing rapid growth. “With the introduction of new federal incentives, such as the Inflation Reduction Act’s Domestic Content Bonus, projects that utilize equipment manufactured in the United States can now qualify for additional tax credits,” they say. Let’s hope that the federal incentives continue for this and other solar projects.
Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix
The Innovators Educational Foundation (IEF) is looking forward to the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 (FSGP) from July 3–5. This is a collegiate solar car competition that will be hosted for the second consecutive year at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, KY. This three-day endurance event, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, highlights the ingenuity and dedication of more than 30 collegiate teams from across North America.
The Electrek FSGP 2025 will once again offer a showcase of solar technology and innovative engineering while highlighting the ingenuity and dedication of collegiate teams from across North America.
“We are excited to bring the solar cars back to NCM Motorsports Park for the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! Even more so, the teams are excited to showcase their innovative vehicles powered by the sun, inspiring young and old alike while demonstrating the capabilities of solar power and engineering creativity,” said Gail Lueck, Event Director and Operations Director at IEF. “Celebrating 25 years since the first Formula Sun Grand Prix, we are proud to continue to provide this hands-on, multi-disciplined, experiential learning opportunity for today’s college students that will become tomorrow’s leaders.”
Each team has spent countless hours designing, building, and refining their solar-powered vehicles to compete in this prestigious event. The competition not only tests the endurance and speed of these cars but also emphasizes reliability, strategic energy management, and adaptability to weather conditions.
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