No one should have to choose between lighting their homes and putting food on the table. But in South Texas, this is a daily decision many make. Household energy costs force families to ration basic necessities, impacting their health and wellbeing and reinforcing the cycle of poverty. 

With support from the Sempra Foundation and Proyecto Azteca, one project seeks to ease this burden by drawing on the region’s abundant and underutilized energy source—the sun.  

The project brings solar power to homes in rural, low-income neighborhoods locally known as “colonias.” Colonias are unincorporated communities along the US-Mexico border where poverty rates are high. The average income for a family of four is $12,000-$15,000. Roughly $1,600 of that goes to the electricity bill.  

By equipping these households with solar power, the project cuts energy costs by up to 75%. The systems are warrantied for 25 years and typically last much longer. Over their lifetime, the panels are expected to save residents a collective $679,560, which families can use to pay for food, education, healthcare, and more. And as these families save, they also give back to the planet by reducing their carbon footprint through clean solar power. 

The first phase of this project includes the solar electrification of 14 homes, with direct impacts to 79 individuals. SELF hopes to expand the scope of this work to other communities in need. 

This project was generously supported by the Sempra Foundation.