Scaling Up Clean Energy Enterprises in Rural Haiti

Economic and environmental trends in Haiti signal the critical need for solutions to alleviate energy poverty, particularly in the Côte Sud region. Existing cookstove technologies, if they can reach the low-to-middle class Haitians, offer clear health and economic benefits. Price decreases in solar PV technology mean that the solar light bulbs and solar home systems (SHS) are becoming affordable to a larger segment of the Haitian market. For these small-scale energy products, EarthSpark International acts as an importer, distributor and franchising organization, with the goal of developing broad access to clean energy technologies through a national network of retail points of sale, under the local Magazen Eneji Pw6p brand. EarthSpark was interested in scaling up their operations through a range of different sales channels they are piloting in southwestern Haiti.

The objective of the Capstone workshop was to explore and evaluate the different sales channels and distribution models for efficient cookstoves and stand-alone solar electricity systems for households and small businesses. This may include end-user financing options, micro-franchise models, energy remittances, marketing support, and attracting investment.