Potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency for Haiti

March 13, 2015 8:27 AM

On the 24th and 25th of November, Worldwatch Institute, an international team of researchers based in Washington DC, exhibited their project to bring renewable energy to Haiti, especially the rural areas that have, for too long in our modern world, remained largely in the dark. They made this presentation at a Rural Energy of Haiti Forum, held in Petion-Ville at the Royal Oasis Hotel. There for the presentation on the study known as "Haiti Sustainable Energy Roadmap," was the Minister of Public Works, Jacques Rousseau. The minister and the other attendees listened to the presentation made by the Director of Climate and Energy at the Institute, Alexander Ochs.

In his speech, Mr. Ochs spoke of how, in the best case, Haiti has the potential to meet 90% of its energy needs through clean, renewable energy. He believes that Haiti is primed, as few other countries in the world are, to take advantage of this kind of power. He spoke about the challenges faced by the government, of developing infrastructure to provide this energy, and the diversification of the power to make it sustainable, securable, and able to withstand natural disasters. He describes the system as one that can provide energy from the sun, from wind, plants and water every day, for free to the country. He also said that this was not a hard feat to accomplish.

The results of their study show that the country need only install 6 square kilometers of solar paneling to generate the same amount of electricity that it does today. They also concluded that the investment would cut Haiti's energy cost down by two-thirds, and that effective policy making can overcome any of the challenges currently facing the sustainable energy project.

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Potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency for Haiti

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