Maria Jose Garcia

Peruvian environmental engineer who pioneered solar energy in the Amazon rainforest

Maria Jose Garcia (born 1976) transformed energy access in the Amazon through her Solar Amazon initiative. Starting in 2003, she designed floating solar panels that now power 85 remote communities, reducing deforestation from wood-burning by 70%. Her modular systems use 30% less materials than standard panels, adapting to riverine environments.

Garcia's innovation won the 2015 UN Climate Solutions Award and inspired Brazil's Amazon Solar Program. A 2021 study by the Rainforest Alliance showed her projects cut CO2 emissions by 12,000 tons annually. She developed the first solar-powered fish farming system that doubles as water purification units.

Her work intersects with the UN's SDG 7 (Affordable Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Garcia's TED Talk Energy that heals the rainforest has been translated into 15 languages. She currently advises the Peruvian government's National Energy Council, demonstrating how renewable energy can protect biodiversity.