NRG Energy completes Haiti renewables project

Solar developer NRG Energy has announced the completion of its The Sun Lights the Way project in the Boucan Carré region of Haiti.

The project features solar systems installed at 20 schools, a fish farm and a drip irrigation system.

Collaboration and funding for the project came from several sources. Non-profit organisation Solar Electric Light Fund assisted NRG in the deployment of the project, while a US$1 million commitment from the Clinton Global Initiative and a US$500,000 pledge from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund provided the needed funding. Solar module manufacturer Trina Solar donated all the solar panels installed on the schools.

NRG estimates that over 6,000 Haitian students will benefit from the solar project, which provides electricity needed to power lights, communication systems, laptops and other school equipment. The solar irrigation system, also known as the Solar Market Garden, aims to increase the production of crops at the Lashto Zanmi Agrikol farm by powering water pumps, while the solar installation at the Lashto Fish Farm will focus on escalating the fish production by powering aerators for six tanks.