SunPower Facebook Fans Make an Impact: Update on Rural Electrification in the Philippines

Many commenters on Facebook, Twitter and this blog have asked for an update on the 'Make an Impact' campaign from summer 2010, so today we’re providing news on the SunPower Foundation’s work with Winrock International and the AMORE program in the Philippines.

As part of SunPower’s initial Facebook kick-off on Earth Day 2010, we conducted the "Make an Impact" campaign in which SunPower donated $1 to the SunPower Foundation on behalf of each new Facebook user that liked SunPower. Over the final two weeks of the campaign in November 2010, SunPower upped the donation to $10 for each new "like." In turn, the SunPower Foundation would contribute that money to one of three non-profit organizations aligned with our environmental and community improvement goals. Thanks to fan enthusiasm in spreading the word and joining with SunPower. By the end of the campaign, 3,570 new fans were responsible for an $8,500 donation!



The SunPower Foundation directed a portion of this money to AMORE, a rural electrification program that leverages renewable technologies such as solar installations to deliver lighting services and electricity to remote, off-grid areas on the Philippines island of Mindanao. AMORE, which stands for Alliance for Mindanao and Multi-Regional Rural/Renewable Off-Grid Renewable Energy, is a partnership between the SunPower Foundation, Winrock International, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Philippines Department of Energy and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).



SunPower joined AMORE in the early phases and expanded our contributions significantly for Phase 3. A major tenet of AMORE Phase 3 is providing electricity to rural schools to improve the educational experience and enable distance learning. Over the life of the AMORE program, 224 schools have already been energized (including 119 with SunPower panels), providing educational improvements to roughly 44,000 local students. In Phase 3, 150 new schools will be added benefiting at least 35,000 students. In 2010 alone, 20 schools were solarized.



These installations provide enormous benefits to the Mindanao communities, many of which are racked by poverty, years of local conflict and a lack of infrastructure. Beyond the educational improvements and what that represents for the economic productivity of future generations, there are significant environmental and health benefits associated with cutting down CO2 output and removing the need to burn wood and other fuels. AMORE solar projects also provide economic opportunities such as job creation and workforce training. All of this leads to an improve standard of living for local residents.



To all of our followers who made this donation possible, thank you for joining with SunPower and the SunPower Foundation. If you’re interested in learning more about the mission of the SunPower Foundation, projects it’s funding or how to get involved, please visit the SunPower Foundation web site. If you have any questions or comments regarding current projects, please share below.