A global problem in rural areas of poor countries is the reliability of electricity access. The electrification rate within the rural areas of Haiti is around 17%. Only 25% of people overall in Haiti have access to electricity, mainly in urban cities or more well-off homes. The approach to potentially scale out consistent and affordable energy services to the rural families of Haiti is by introducing Portable Power Systems. This system will bring rechargeable power sources to households located in Borgne, Haiti as an inexpensive electricity option. The long term goal of the project is to positively impact most of the poor rural communities in the country and elsewhere.

The Portable Power System (PPS) is a battery that is charged by a sustainable system in a central location. It can facilitate charging of in-home lighting and phone devices for a family for several days. The system would be durable enough to transport across rivers and the rugged terrain of Borgne. The PPS would be distributed to households that they can exchange for a new one once the power has been used up. With this system the users will not be responsible for charging the PPS or waiting for it to complete charging. A centralized charging station will be used as a hub for charging and swapping out each PPS using photo-voltaic solar panels as a renewable power source with minimal maintenance required.

Project Name

Portable Power Systems for Electrification of Rural Households

Project Number

P20482

Start Term

2191

End Term

2195

Faculty Guides

John Kaemmerlen and Oliver Miller

Primary Customer

Dr. Rob Stevens with The Sustainable Energy Lab

Sponsor (financial support)

RIT

Planning & Execution

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