Haiti is slowly recovering from the 2010 earthquake by rebuilding the country’s economy and infrastructure. In this process, improving access to energy has played a crucial role. In terms of utility-scale power generation, grants and projects have focused on restructuring Haiti’s national power company, Electricité d’Haiti (EDH). On the small-scale side, micro grid projects have started to appear and the first three started operation in 2015.
Haiti has around 311MW of installed generating capacity with the bulk of it (80%) from fossil-fuelled plants. The remaining 20% comes from the Péligre hydro plant, currently undergoing restoration work, and other small hydro plants. EDH owns 44% of the generation in Haiti and is responsible for 84 km of transmission line and more than 1500 km of distribution on the island. Today, given infrastructure limitations, EDH is able to power Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and a few cities nearby but only intermittently. Meanwhile, diesel generators, kerosene lamps and other forms of distributed generation are widespread in the country. EDH has received grants from the World Bank, IDB and other international organizations to help the company improve its infrastructure.
All of this has created interesting opportunities for clean distributed generation solutions and the implementation of micro grids, especially in areas challenging for EDH to reach. With the help of a USAID grant, in 2015 Haiti’s first micro grid started operation in the south of the country and providing solar-powered electricity to around 450 families in the city of Les Anglais. The system also counts on batteries to ensure reliability and smart meters for system stability and pre-pay capability for customers. Since then, two other micro grids have started providing electricity and are projected to serve 1700 customers. One in the south, financed by IDB, UNEP and USAID, linking 3 small towns Coteaux, Port-a-Piment and Roche-a-Bateau will be managed by the first newly created electrical cooperative (CEAC). The other one in Feyo Bien, Centre province will be supported by IDB. Both micro grids are powered by hybrid PV-diesel generators.
While Haiti does not currently have a specific legislation mandating micro grids, private companies seeking opportunities to expand distributed generation in the island. The same firm that installed the Les Anglais micro grid has made a commitment along with UN’s Sustainable Energy for All program to install another 80 such projects in Haiti and sell 1.5m clean energy products by 2020. Additionally, various start-up companies on the island are providing small lighting and energy systems from solar, biomass and mini-hydro.
Score Summary
Haiti’s 0.64 overall score in Climatescope 2015, while slightly lower than the 0.73 recorded in 2014, was sufficient to retain its 45th-place position.
Haiti’s progress was blocked by poor performance on the Green Micro Finance Category of Clean Energy Investment and Climate Financing Parameter II. It also was hampered by adverse scoring on the Average Cost of Debt Indicator of Parameter II.
On Enabling Framework Parameter I, Haiti in 2015 repeated its 39th-place ranking from 2014. Its 2015 and 2014 Parameter I scores were 0.89 and 0.92, respectively.
On Clean Energy Investment and Climate Financing Parameter II, Haiti’s ranking fell from 37th to 45th place. Its 2015 Parameter II score of 0.24 compares with 0.38 recorded in 2014.
On Low-Carbon Business & Clean Energy Value Chains Parameter III, Haiti in 2015 scored 1.32, ranking it 32nd. Its 2014 metrics were a 1.58 score and a rank of 28.
On Greenhouse Gas Management Activities Parameter IV, Haiti in 2015 repeated its last-place rating from 2014. Its score was 0.07 in both years.