Comet-ME - Community, Energy, Technology in the Middle East
Empowering Area C Palestinian communities since 2009
About us
We facilitate the social and economic empowerment of some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the occupied Palestinian territories through the installation of renewable-energy and clean-water systems and the reliable maintenance, monitoring, and management of these systems.
The political context
In Area C of the occupied Palestinian territories, rural Palestinian villages’ distance from the grid is not geographical but political—with electricity and water lines running literally meters above their heads and below their feet to connect nearby illegal Israeli settlements and outposts.
Community profiles
Over a decade of work within the herding and farming communities in Area C, we have gotten to know hundreds of individuals and heard as many stories—stories that are both personal and unique as well as emblematic and reflective of the larger reality for all communities in Area C.
Research and Development
Alongside our day-to-day work in the West Bank, Comet-ME has been working over the past five years to develop an innovative off-grid solar pump for application across the Global South. The Solar Magnetic Piston Pump (SMPP) will provide a game-changing solution for off-grid smallholder farmers.
Remote online monitoring
Remote monitoring of the systems is an essential tool for assessing the state of the systems without visiting them. It allows for scheduling of preventive maintenance, tracking the development of issues, and understanding what interventions are required to prevent these from becoming major issues. Multi-year data comparison allows for studying of consumption patterns and growth trends, which in turn allow for long-term planning of system upgrades.
Annual Reports
Moving slowly but steadily toward our goal of providing universal energy access to the Palestinian communities in Area C of the occupied Palestinian territories, in 2018 Comet-ME installed renewable energy systems for 210 families in 14 different communities and household water systems for 40 households throughout our install base in the south.
Comet-ME’s work is made possible by the generous support of
