About 49% of the population of Haiti had access to electricity as of 2022. In rural areas, that number is closer to 2%, and while 80% of Haiti's urban areas have access to electricity, that access may not be reliable. Contact online >>
About 49% of the population of Haiti had access to electricity as of 2022. In rural areas, that number is closer to 2%, and while 80% of Haiti''s urban areas have access to electricity, that access may not be reliable.
"Even when a household is connected to the power grid, they might only have power for three to eight hours a day." explained Josue Noel, the energy program management specialist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). "In the event of an outage, they may be without electricity for days or even weeks."
More than two centuries of foreign interference, political instability, economic constraints, and natural disasters have left the Caribbean nation one of the poorest in the world and among those with the highest rates of energy poverty. Haiti''s energy access and infrastructure remain critically underdeveloped.
In addition, Haiti relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, which are expensive, harmful to the environment, and exacerbate existing challenges to Haiti''s energy sector. Renewable energy technologies like solar power are on the rise but have been slowed by longstanding challenges, including limited opportunities to gain specialized technical expertise.
In the face of these obstacles, Haiti is forging a path toward energy resilience with support from USAID and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Central to this effort is the development of energy modeling frameworks and trainings, microgrids, agrivoltaics, and off-grid solar power to enhance energy resilience and security in Haiti. Through a series of collaborative projects, USAID and NREL are working together with Haitian stakeholders to enhance local workforce capabilities, develop robust regulatory frameworks, and, eventually, deploy cutting-edge technologies.
In a bid to reshape Haiti''s energy landscape, USAID and NREL will support Haiti''s ministries and government in formulating the country''s Integrated Resource and Resilience plan, which is a comprehensive energy sector master plan that envisions a sustainable, secure, and resilient energy future for Haiti. This plan will serve as a long-term guide for energy stakeholders and will include key analysis, cost estimations, and planning to help inform decision-making.
"I expect USAID-NREL''s help with developing minigrid regulation to play a catalytic role in boosting minigrid development in Haiti," said Nicolas Allien, a senior energy consultant who previously served as head of the energy unit at Haiti''s Ministry of Public Works, Transportation, and Communication. "Of course, the next step is to make sure those regulations are adopted and enforced."
Haiti enjoys abundant sunlight throughout the year, making it an excellent candidate for solar power systems. However, the land most suitable for solar generation deployment often overlaps with prime agricultural areas for small-scale farmers, creating potential for conflict between energy access and the preservation of local food security and livelihoods.
To address the intricate connection between energy access and food security, the work with Haiti explores the potential for agrivoltaics—a convergence of solar energy generation with agricultural activities. Through research and stakeholder engagement, USAID and NREL published a framework to adapt agrivoltaic solutions for minigrid contexts in Haiti. These solutions aim to boost energy production, thereby addressing energy poverty, and increase agricultural yields, thereby addressing food insecurity.
In parallel with other efforts like minigrid development and national grid planning, off-grid solar also has the potential to play an important role in advancing Haiti''s energy access. As the name suggests, off-grid solar systems operate independently from the traditional electricity grid. However, the market and business models for off-grid solar in Haiti are still nascent. This highlights a need to build foundational capacity for off-grid solar—in other words, to prepare Haitian stakeholders to understand, plan, and manage off-grid solar and other clean energy projects.
"Off-grid solar, along with minigrids, agrivoltaics, and other solutions based on renewables, are the future for Haiti," Noel said. "But one major issue for us, in both the public and private sector, is access to trained, qualified professionals."
With these needs in mind, NREL worked with the Faculté Des Sciences de l''Université d''Etat d''Haïti to develop a bilingual primer course that provides key information and concepts for off-grid solar in Haiti. This program aims to equip stakeholders with the requisite skills and knowledge to leverage off-grid solar technologies effectively.
As an island nation with an evolving yet vulnerable power grid, Haiti must strategically integrate resilience into its energy system planning. Leveraging investments in renewables, distributed energy resources, and energy storage is key to improving the resiliency and security of Haiti''s power system and electricity supply.
Recognizing the crucial role of energy storage in strengthening Haiti''s energy resilience, NREL conducted four one-hour workshops with staff members from Haiti''s energy-related government ministries. Focused on the USAID-NREL Resilient Energy Platform and NREL''s Power Sector Resilience Planning Guidebook, these workshops aimed to build participants'' ability to understand energy resilience metrics, assess power system vulnerabilities, and develop stakeholder-driven mitigation strategies.
As Haiti continues its journey of recovery and resilience, the USAID-NREL Partnership envisions further collaboration and expansion, including additional capacity-building, implementation support, and pilot projects. NREL has proposed to collaborate with USAID on a second round of objectives aimed at boosting Haiti''s energy sector. The objectives focus on improving resilience in critical facilities; enhancing workforce development with a focus on women and youth; strengthening technical capacity for energy modeling; and promoting mentorship, career growth, and gender equality.
Acknowledging the significant challenges facing Haiti and the immense effort required to strengthen its energy infrastructure, the research team emphasizes the importance of realism and transparency moving forward. While celebrating the progress made, the team nevertheless recognizes the ongoing challenges and complexities involved in deploying sustainable energy solutions in Haiti. Through continued collaboration and dedication, the USAID-NREL Partnership will continue to drive positive change and pave the way for a more resilient Haiti.
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is promoting a Request for Proposals (RfP) to US companies to design, build and install hybrid solar PV and energy storage microgrid generation systems in Haiti.
The RfP is being run by EarthSpark International – a small-scale clean energy product distributor that focuses in Haiti. It calls for a solar-storage microgrid in Tilburon, on the coast of the country. It also calls for additional microgrids in two other towns located in Haiti’s southern peninsula.
Altogether, the RfP is for up to three, community-scale turnkey microgrid generation systems which will serve as a reference point for future solicitation for additional projects. They will provide affordable, reliable and clean electricity to Haiti’s downtown rural towns to enhance the quality of life and unlock economic potential.
Microgrids are an ideal solution in off-grid or weak grid rural environments such as Haiti; as cost-competitive solar energy is amenable to applications in areas that are not sufficiently serviced by the grid. Haiti in particular is heavily-dependent on diesel and kerosene for power generation; both of which are expensive due to transportation, as well as bad for the environment.
According to EarthSpark and the USTDA, this RfP is an exciting opportunity to expand energy access across the country and will eventually scale-up to build 80 community microgrids over the next five years.
Alina Enèji is a Haitian project developer. Their focus has been on providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity to last-mile areas of Haiti, and their ambition is to scale energy access across the nation with the combined support of local communities and institutional stakeholders.
Okra Solar is an Australian technology supplier specializing in the design and production of interconnected decentralized energy systems (known as "mesh-grids") for last-mile communities.
Alina Enèji opted to go for a "hub-&-spoke" implementation of the mesh-grid that enabled an average daily load of 440 Wh/day with 1.5 days battery autonomy.
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