what makes us tick

Bringing Clean Energy to Rural Haiti


“Jolie! Tres jolie!” Enthusiastic cries of “very nice!” is how people in the community of Les Anglais, Haiti responded to using a solar-powered LED table lamp during EarthSpark International’s December, 2008 visit. Four months later, EarthSpark International Co-Director Dan Schnitzer returned with two advisors: Dr. Bob Lange of the International Collaborative on Science, Education and the Environment, and Dr. Robert Van Buskirk of Village Projects International. Bob, Robert and Dan met with members of partner community group COREA to finalize construction plans for the first Clean Energy Store in Haiti and discuss the impact of green technology on the lives of their neighbors.

“We will sell one thousand lamps in less than a month!” one member exclaimed. “I use mine every day. No more kerosene.” said Jean Noel, President of COREA and administrator of a local primary school, who received one of the seven demonstration lamps EarthSpark International brought in December.

Without any public electricity service, the people of Les Anglais have no choice but to use kerosene lanterns or candles for lighting. This store, construction of which will begin this week, will make technologies available which have immediate impacts on poverty reduction, educational quality, and commercial productivity. Later this year, EarthSpark International Energy Systems Engineer Peter McPhee will join Bob and Dan in Les Anglais to conduct a 20-person training workshop on the installation, maintenance and expansion of Solar Home Systems. EarthSpark International has engaged Fonkoze, a Haitian Microfinance Institution, to provide “energy loans” to individuals for the purchase of these more expensive energy systems.

The Clean Energy Store represents a first step towards expanding access to renewable energy sources and efficient end-use equipment. Moving forward, we envision replicating the store in other rural communities, and scaling up the organizational capacity of the store owners to develop community-scale micro-grids.

If you would like to support this vision, you have the opportunity to double the impact of your donation through a matching gifts drive sponsored by Frontier Utilities of Houston, Texas for up to $25,000. The drive will last until July 1, 2009, so donate soon to make it count!