Institución Paccelli is an orphanage for boys 6-15 years old in Mexicali, Mexico. Institución Paccelli has been serving Mexicali’s low-income families since 1967, with healthy meals, educational support, physical education, mental health services, and more. The home has supported more than 12,000 beneficiaries since its founding more than 50 years ago.
Mexicali is a city on the northern border of Mexico that gets extremely hot with temperatures reaching up to 120°F any given day between May and November. Air conditioning (AC) is a necessity in Mexicali, but at times, the cost to run electric AC units can be too expensive for the home to afford. When the home is not able to use the AC while the kids are doing homework, having meals, sleeping, and taking classes, it makes it hard for the kids to focus and sleep on hot nights.
In December 2021, GRID installed a 10kW grid-tied solar system on a carport in the Paccelli parking lot, to reduce the home’s monthly electric bill. The carport provides a structure for the solar installation while providing much needed shade for the kids. Solar allows Paccelli to use the financial savings from the solar energy to reinvest in more services for the residents, upgrade to energy efficiency appliances, and provide better academic support and mental health services. The home expects to save $190 a month from the electricity generated by the solar system.
Thank you to the Sempra Foundation for supporting this project.
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