A year after it was rebuilt, the Sainte Rose de Lima community center, in the rural district of Palmary on Haiti's Central Plateau, now has a reliable power supply -- a Plug&Sun™ installation now provides independent solar-power generation by means of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology. Developed by Soitec, such systems provide a solution to the problems of access to energy in rural areas with poor connections to the grid, or indeed none at all.
Instigated and backed by the charity Zanmi Lasanté Paris, the project to provide electricity to the community center won over the selection jury for the first batch of Sunidarity projects. The Sunidarity initiative, started by Soitec, makes it possible for non-profits, NGOs and foundations to receive Plug & Sun™ equipment for the benefit of their local development projects.
After being completed in Palmary in June 2013, the Plug&Sun™ equipment started to provide upkeep and maintenance services. It has been supplying the villagers with electricity for several months, making it possible to recharge cell phones and light the community center in the evenings, among other things. Children are able to do their homework and villagers can meet up.
Christine Murray, President of Zanmi Lasanté Paris, explains that "It was very important to provide a long-term electricity supply to this community. This in particular meant ensuring the security of the facility. The Plug&Sun™ solution proved ideal, because we were able to install the solar trackers on the flat roof of premises where we could install the other components, such as the batteries and the energy management console, inside."
She continues, "The electricity now being supplied to around 200 people encourages interaction with the outside world, not only through phone calls made from this cut off area, but also through education, thanks to the lighting, the use of computers and showing films. We are currently looking into drilling a well – in this cholera-affected region, access to clean water is a priority which is now made possible by solar power."
José Bériot, Soitec's head of project development for Europe and Africa adds, "We are very proud to support this project. It fully reflects our firm belief in renewable energy generation and sustainable development. It also demonstrates that it is now possible, thanks to our concentrator photovoltaic technology, to optimize the generation of clean and renewable electricity in areas that receive a great deal of sunlight."