Casa Pueblo

What Casa Pueblo does

Casa Pueblo is a nonprofit community self-management organization founded in 1980 in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, by Tinti Deyá Díaz and Alexis Massol González to oppose government-planned mining operations across 36,000 cuerdas of mountain land. Over four decades it has evolved into an integrated operator of decentralized solar microgrids, environmental education programs, community broadcasting, and artisanal commerce, anchored by 400+ solar installations and Puerto Rico's first interconnected microgrids (Adjuntas Pueblo Solar and Plaza de la Independencia Energética) totaling approximately 200kW of photovoltaic capacity and 1MWh of storage.

The organization's core technical assets are community-scale solar microgrids with flexible grid-connected, island-mode, and interconnected operation; the Posterriqueño LED street lighting product designed with UPR-Mayagüez; emergency solar systems for residential medical equipment including personal dialysis; and real-time energy monitoring systems that feed peer-reviewed research with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Complementary programs include Caf\u00e9 Madre Isla artisanal coffee (founded 1989), Radio Casa Pueblo WOQI 1020 AM, the 150-cuerda Bosque Escuela La Olimpia Ariel Massol Deyá outdoor education center, the Cine Solar community cinema, and the ICBC biodiversity institute.

Casa Pueblo generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit model: coffee and artisanal product sales, membership contributions and donations (including crowdfunding for specific projects), suggested-donation educational tours at Bosque Escuela and the Casa Pueblo headquarters, and emerging energy transition consulting and training services channeled through the planned Laboratorio Comunitario para la Transición Energética. The organization serves low-income and vulnerable rural communities across Puerto Rico's central mountain region, alongside local businesses, schools, and academic research partners. Customer concentration is structurally low given fragmented small-ticket transactions and no enterprise anchor accounts. Casa Pueblo holds the 2002 Goldman Environmental Prize and operates as an independent nonprofit with no venture capital or institutional investor ownership.

Name

Casa Pueblo

Legal name

Casa Pueblo

Website

https://casapueblo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Casa Pueblo is a nonprofit community self-management organization in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico operating 400+ decentralized solar microgrid installations, environmental education programs, community radio, and artisanal coffee, serving low-income rural communities, local businesses, and academic research partners across Puerto Rico since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Café Madre Isla Coffee Sales: Artisanal 100% Arabica coffee from Adjuntas sold in recyclable aluminum bags. Founded in 1989 as economic alternative to mining dependency. Sold through Casa Pueblo's physical location and website.
2. Membership Contributions and Donations: Community members can contribute through membership or donations. Accepts checks mailed to PO Box 704 Adjuntas, direct deposits to Banco Popular (account 159 116031), and PayPal donations. Crowdfunding campaigns for specific projects like the Living Energy Innovation Laboratory.
3. Artisanal Store Products: Handicraft store selling locally made products including woodwork, copper items, t-shirts, natural soaps, and books by Puerto Rican authors. Located at Casa Pueblo headquarters.
4. Bosque Escuela Educational Tours: Educational forest tours open Friday to Sunday from 9AM-2PM. Suggested donation of $10 per adult and $8 per child. Includes audioguide interpretation and guided nature walks.
5. Energy Transition Consulting and Training: Guidance and technical assistance to organizations and small businesses on microgrid development, renewable energy integration, and energy resilience strategies. Part of the Community Energy Transition Laboratory initiative seeking $425,000 in founding partner funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Casa Pueblo is a community self-management nonprofit that develops and operates decentralized solar microgrids and energy resilience programs for rural and vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico. Its core offerings include community solar microgrid installations (Adjuntas Pueblo Solar, Plaza de la Independencia Energética, and interconnected microgrids), the Posterriqueño LED street lighting product, and emergency solar systems for medical devices. Complementary programs include the Bosque Escuela environmental education center, Radio Casa Pueblo community radio, Café Madre Isla artisanal coffee, and the Tienda Artesanal crafts shop.

Product overview

Casa Pueblo is a community self-management organization offering an integrated portfolio of solar energy solutions, sustainable products, and educational programs. The core offerings include distributed solar microgrid systems (Adjuntas Pueblo Solar, Plaza de la Independencia Energética, and interconnected microgrids) providing 200kW capacity with 1MWh storage, the Posterriqueño LED street lighting product, and emergency solar systems for medical equipment. Complementary offerings include Café Madre Isla artisanal coffee, Radio Casa Pueblo community radio, the Bosque Escuela outdoor education center, Cine Solar cinema, and the ICBC biodiversity institute. The portfolio is unified by a mission of community energy independence and environmental protection, with the Living Energy Innovation Laboratory serving as the research and development arm advancing microgrid technology and workforce training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Café Madre Isla: Artisanal 100% Arabica coffee brand from Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, sold in recyclable aluminum bags with zipper closure and degassing valve.
• Radio Casa Pueblo WOQI 1020 AM
• Instituto Comunitario de Biodiversidad y Cultura (ICBC)
• Laboratorio Comunitario para la Transición Energética
• 50% con Sol
• Adjuntas Pueblo Solar
• Posterriqueño
• Cine Solar
• Mi Plántula Solar

Products and services

• Café Madre Isla Artisanal 100% Arabica coffee from Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, sold in recyclable aluminum bags with degassing valve. Founded to break economic dependency and create local employment, available through Casa Pueblo's physical location and e-commerce website.
• Adjuntas Pueblo Solar Microgrids Two community solar microgrids serving multiple businesses in the Adjuntas town plaza (pharmacy, pizzeria, furniture stores, hardware store, optical store, bakery, church and other spaces) with 200kW of photovoltaic capacity and 1MWh of energy storage, providing real-time energy monitoring and resilience during extreme weather events.
• Plaza de la Independencia Energética Microgrid A solar microgrid with 60kW of photovoltaic generation and 100kWh of energy storage serving a home and community resilience center, featuring flexible configuration to operate connected to the grid, in island mode, or interconnected with other microgrids.
• Solar Photovoltaic System for Personal Dialysis Emergency solar power system designed to operate personal dialysis machines continuously in residential settings. Configured with 600W of solar panels, 4 deep-cycle batteries, and a 1500W pure sine wave inverter, providing 10-12 hours of daily operation for life-critical medical equipment during grid outages.
• Posterriqueño LED Street Lighting LED outdoor street lighting system designed by UPR Mayagüez engineers, consuming 42-48 watts (55% more efficient than conventional 100W sodium lamps) with a 20-year lifespan. Designed and manufactured locally in Puerto Rico for municipal deployment.
• Bosque Escuela La Olimpia Ariel Massol Deyá A 150-cuerda (approximately 145 acres) forest education center featuring outdoor classrooms including salón de motivación, salón de hongos, salón de agua, salón de energía renovable (Tahona), salón de cuenca hidrográfica, agroecology laboratory, butterfly garden, and interpretive trails to Pico Libertad. Open Friday-Sunday 9AM-2PM with suggested donation of $10 adults and $8 children.
• Radio Casa Pueblo WOQI 1020 AM Puerto Rico's first community and ecological radio station, a non-profit community-managed organization broadcasting at 1020 AM and online. Programs include 'Música y Cantares de la Patria Nuestra', 'Ecología en Radioclips', and 'Desalambrando' with Dr. Arturo Massol Deyá.
• Cine Solar Puerto Rico's first solar-powered outdoor cinema, operating via microgrid with energy from solar panels to deliver community screenings and educational programming.
• Tienda Artesanal Artisan shop selling Puerto Rican crafts including woodwork, copper items, t-shirts, natural soaps, and books by Puerto Rican authors, located at the Casa Pueblo headquarters in Adjuntas.
• Instituto Comunitario de Biodiversidad y Cultura (ICBC) Community biodiversity and culture institute featuring auditorium, ecology laboratory, music room, and art gallery, operating on solar energy since 2011. Offers environmental education, science curriculum, and cultural programming in collaboration with UPR Mayagüez and partner schools.
• Laboratorio Comunitario para la Transición Energética A living energy innovation laboratory providing applied research in microgrid technology, energy resilience, renewable integration, and workforce development, leveraging over 400 solar and microgrid installations as real-world research platforms. Seeks $425,000 in founding partner funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Solar systems survived Hurricane María while centralized grid failed, powering Casa Pueblo and surrounding community as 'energy oasis' for months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google Project Sunroof / Google Earth OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration with Google's Project Sunroof, an online tool using aerial mapping technology to calculate solar potential of rooftops. Google Earth Outreach supported production of 'After The Dark' documentary about Puerto Rico's solar energy movement. Partnership aims to empower Puerto Ricans to assess solar potential and install solar systems.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced in Laboratory Community for Energy Transition documentation with link to ORNL resources. Academic research collaboration for publications in IEEE and peer-reviewed journals using Casa Pueblo's microgrid operational data.
• University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with UPR-Mayagüez Department of Electrical Engineering on Posterriqueño LED street lighting design, solar energy research, student projects, and ICBC educational institute. Multiple faculty members serve on Casa Pueblo board and teach courses.
• Asociación Comunitaria de Energía Solar de Adjuntas (ACESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community solar association partnered with Casa Pueblo and Honnold Foundation for Adjuntas Pueblo Solar project, transforming energy paradigm in Adjuntas town center through interconnected microgrids.
• Washington Irving Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in founding ICBC (Instituto Comunitario de Biodiversidad y Cultura) established 2002 through agreement between the elementary school, UPR-Mayagüez, and Casa Pueblo.
• Dr. Larry Forney and Dr. Eva Top (University of Idaho)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisiting faculty from University of Idaho who participate in Bosque Escuela educational programs and curriculum development.
• Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad Católica de Puerto RicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned and constructed the Hydrographic Basin Classroom at Bosque Escuela, featuring gabion desks and interactive exhibitions for hands-on hydrology education.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• ICLEI USA: Global network supporting local governments on sustainability including renewable energy transitions. Comparable in supporting community/municipal clean energy initiatives but operates as an enabling network rather than deploying infrastructure directly.
• Enphase Energy: Leading microinverter and battery technology supplier underpinning many distributed solar and microgrid deployments. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for community microgrid projects though positioned as a component supplier rather than installer.
• Honnold Foundation: Foundation funding solar equity projects, including direct partnership and grant support to Casa Pueblo's Adjuntas Pueblo Solar project. Comparable as a funder in the same energy-justice space, though operating via grantmaking rather than direct deployment.

Broad incumbents

• Sunrun: Largest US residential solar installer with active Puerto Rico operations. Comparable customer segment (residential rooftop solar) but vastly larger scale, leased/financed model, and national marketing reach versus Casa Pueblo's community self-management approach.
• Tesla Energy: Operates Powerwall, Solar Roof, and large-scale microgrids including Puerto Rico's post-María hospital microgrid project. Comparable on microgrid technology and Puerto Rico footprint but operates as a global incumbent with vastly larger capital and supply chain.
• Sunnova Energy International: Major residential solar and storage provider with significant operations in Puerto Rico. Overlaps with Casa Pueblo in the residential solar segment but serves customers via financed PPAs rather than community-led nonprofit deployment.

Direct peers

• Groundswell: Nonprofit building community solar projects for low-to-moderate income households. Shares Casa Pueblo's mission of community-owned clean energy and nonprofit delivery model, with comparable scale and approach in the southeastern US.
• ReVision Energy: Maine-based employee-owned solar installer with strong community engagement focus. Comparable mission emphasis on local energy independence and nonprofit-adjacent cooperative governance, though operating in the US Northeast rather than Puerto Rico.
• GRID Alternatives: US nonprofit that installs solar for low-income and underserved communities through volunteer-led models. Most directly comparable to Casa Pueblo in mission (energy equity), nonprofit structure, and volunteer-deployment approach, though operating at much larger scale across multiple US states.

Emerging players

• Cooperative Energy Futures: Minnesota-based cooperative developing community-owned solar gardens. Comparable community-ownership model but operates in a different regulatory environment and at earlier scale than Casa Pueblo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/casapuebloorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=hg7Jlsmx2uI
• Facebookfacebook.com/casapueblo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-pueblo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Casa Pueblo