Grantee Research Project Results
Wind Energy for Haiti: A Rapidly Deployable Renewable Energy System
EPA Grant Number: SU835099Title: Wind Energy for Haiti: A Rapidly Deployable Renewable Energy System
Investigators: Peters, Catherine A. , Bou-Zeid, Elie
Current Investigators: Peters, Catherine A. , Bou-Zeid, Elie , Elbert, Eleanor , She, Richard , Verne, Wesley , Moder, Emily , Chang, Ben , Smith, Kate , Campus, Angelo , Fauber, Ryan , Jeong, Sarah , Liu, Yunzhi , Pal, Satyajeet
Institution: Princeton University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Description:
The system would include a 10 kW wind turbine, solar panels, batteries for energy storage, and the circuitry and mechanical systems necessary to erect and harvest energy from the hybrid system all packed into a standard shipping container for efficient deployment. We will not only design and build a prototype, but we will also research and design solutions for the financing, operation and maintenance, and logistics of the deployment. We aim for the system to serve as a community center and an educational opportunity for the targeted Haitian community, a relief camp near Jacmel, as well as an energy production center that can provide the necessary power for a clinic, including light, refrigerators for vaccines, and cellular telephones.
Objective:
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010 left hundreds of thousands of people dead, and millions homeless and lacking access to the necessities of life. Haiti’s clinics, schools, and hospitals continue to find themselves unable to serve their essential purposes due to a crippling lack of electricity. To address the immense and immediate need for reliable power, we propose to develop, test, and deploy a novel energy system that can be transported in a standard shipping container and rapidly set-up in post-disaster Haiti.
Expected Results:
The prototype we develop will be deployed to Haiti to improve health in overcrowded relief camps and reduce carbon emissions relative to the diesel generators that are typically used in post-disaster areas. The prototype could have broad applications in disaster relief and decentralized power production in Haiti and around the world. The multidisciplinary team of students participating in the project will receive credit through an Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) course, led by engineering faculty from different fields. The findings will be disseminated through a combination of public lectures, a website, interactive educational displays, and publications.
Supplemental Keywords:
wind energy, solar power, renewable energy, disaster relief, climate change, decentralized energy;Relevant Websites:
Phase 2 AbstractProgress and Final Reports:
P3 Phase II:
Power in a Box: Shipping Sustainable Energy to Recovering and Off-the-Grid CommunitiesThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.