Microgrid Operational in a remote village of Abricots in Haiti

Abstract

As we approach 2030, Haiti is among the countries where access to electricity is difficult, with less than 45.4% electrical coverage (2019); According to a report by "The Spectator Index" published in January 2018 regarding the least electrified countries in the world. A present, Haiti is the third among the worst in the world (in 2017), after Nigeria (2nd) and Yemen (1st). The problem of lack of access to electrical energy is a major obstacle to the economic and social growth of the country. Diagnostics on the Haitian electrical system prove that the production costs of electrical energy are very high and the commercial losses are enormous, even deficit. This article reviews the literature and proposes the use of an off-grid microgrid based on solar energy to supply 271 households in the village of Abricots, a community clearly isolated from the rest of the country, in order to facilitate sustainable access to electricity for this marginalized population of Haiti. This study allows us to understand the feasibility aspects of the project, to size the components of the microgrid, in order to coordinate the supply and demand of energy, while optimizing the operational cost.