Solar Power Playing Major Role in Haiti Relief

By: news@gbb.org

The people of Haiti are facing a long and difficult road to recovery.  Their power infrastructure has been demolished and fuel for generators and cooking is scarce, but they do have one thing on their side:  abundant sunshine.  Many solar power companies and non-profits are focusing on that resource and bringing solar-powered equipment capable of providing essential needs like drinkable water, cooking surfaces and mobile phones to the Haitian people.

Some of the organizations providing solar-powered relief include:

Sun Ovens International -- Delivering hundreds of solar-powered ovens capable of making 1,200 meals in eight hours to homeless camps.

Worldwater & Solar Technologies -- Donated a 22 kW array that is running a boarding school for 350 kids and a solar-powered mobile water purification system that is pumping out 30,000 gallons of clean water daily at a Red Cross aid station.

Digicel -- Donating 1,000 solar mobile phones to keep lines of communication open during the crisis.

Sol Inc. -- Contributing 100 solar-powered streetlights that can be installed in less than an hour, stay lit all night and stand up to hurricane-force winds.

We often think about renewable energy as the thing that will save us in the long term, but it's important to see how powerful of a savior it can be in the short term as well.

Source: MSNBC