Comet-ME : Community Energy & Technology in the Middle East

Comet-ME is an Israeli-Palestinian organization providing basic energy and clean-water services to off-grid communities using environmentally and socially sustainable methods. We facilitate social and economic empowerment of some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the occupied Palestinian territories through the installation of renewable energy systems, provision of clean water services, capacity building, and reliable maintenance. Our work has developed out of a long-lasting relationship and commitment to the marginalized Palestinian communities in the south Hebron hills. Initially a voluntary initiative, Comet-ME carried out its first installations in 2006, and formally incorporated in Israel as a public benefit company in September 2009. Today, we are a vertically integrated utility, providing basic energy services to 20 communities encompassing over 1,500 people. In 2013 we entered the field of off-grid water pumping and filtration solutions, and in 2014 began providing clean-water services to the households in our energy install base. Comet-ME is currently the leading provider of sustainable rural electrification services in the region, and an innovator in the field of off-grid water technologies. Comet-ME employs 11 staff members – 6 Palestinian and 5 Israeli. We rely mostly on grants from international foreign offices and development agencies, as well as some private foundations. About 60% of our budget goes to electric and hardware components, purchased both internationally and locally. Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Comet-ME/132251918754 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5n2d6cSbzQE5HoBKwO3SsA