A 52 kilowatt solar array has recently finished being installed on the rooftops of the Zanmi Beni Home for Children in Haiti by NRG Energy Inc.
64 children, all displaced after the 2010 earthquake, are currently living in the home. Beset by the unreliable power grids Haiti currently suffers from, the photovoltaic solar array will be used to try and ensure the home has a means to power the home with sustainable energy.
Loune Viaud, director of strategic planning and operations at Zanmi Beni said:
“We were so impressed with the teamwork and determination behind NRG’s successful installation of the new photovoltaic solar array here at Zanmi Beni Home for Children. This project would not be possible without the dedicated partnership between our staff and NRG’s volunteers.
This project helps us to give our kids a new opportunity in life.”
After Haiti’s earthquake in 2010, most of the children in the home, aged from 2 to 21, are living with either physical or developmental disabilities. The 185-strong staff at Zanmi Beni hope that the installation will help scupper the rising costs of power, and will allow them to rely less on Haiti’s unreliable power arrays.
In economic terms, the idea of integrating sustainable energy sources, offering discounts and tax relief to entice consumers or raising duty on fossil fuels has experienced increasing turbulence over the past few years.
However, in places where a constant source of power isn’t taken for granted, ways to self-sustain electricity can be paramount in running basic services.
Image credit: Flickr
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