Haitian Solar-Powered Micro-grid Potential: Town Ranking Report
Summary — This report assesses the feasibility of developing solar-powered microgrids in 89 rural Haitian towns. It ranks the towns based on factors like economic activity, energy demand, infrastructure, and political will, providing valuable data for Enèji Pwòp's goal of expanding energy access.
Key Findings
- Energy access is low in Haiti, with an estimated 70% of the population lacking a connection.
- A shortage of town-specific data hinders informed selection of viable towns for microgrid development.
- The legal and regulatory environment for rural electricity in Haiti is uncertain.
- Microgrids offer an enormous opportunity for rural electrification in Haitian towns.
- Further microgrid demonstrations would be helpful to prove the viability of the model.
Full Description
The report presents the results of a nationwide study conducted in 2015, assessing the feasibility of microgrid development in 89 rural Haitian towns. Field researchers gathered data on economic activities, political will, energy demand, infrastructure, and the strength of civic organizations. The towns were then scored and ranked based on their suitability for a viable microgrid, using two different scoring methodologies. The report also addresses the legal and regulatory environment for rural electricity in Haiti, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for microgrid development.