ZOLA Electric launches its energy technology platform in Haiti

The deployment of ZOLA’s technology is set to address the Energy Crisis effecting millions across the country.

The launch is the first for ZOLA on the North American continent and aims to dramatically improve Energy Access in Haiti, a country facing incredible energy challenges. Natural disasters and aging grid have rendered its centralised, fossil fuel architecture unusable, with the vast majority of its 12 million people lacking access to reliable and affordable energy.

As the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti has been hit hard by recent global turmoil. The petrol and diesel essential to fuel Haiti’s struggling economy are entirely imported. Rising worldwide diesel prices brought on by the war in Ukraine, and social unrest including the control of major Haitian ports and fuel lines by gangs, has brought the country close to paralysis. Schools have not reopened after summer, people cannot work or run businesses, and UN reports show almost half the population (4.7 million) is at acute hunger risk. Many rely on diesel-fuelled generators to power homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses, yet Haiti today sees some of the highest costs of diesel in the world, peaking at $15/gallon.

Entering the Haiti market via a distribution partnership with Haiti Green Solutions, ZOLA’s energy technology platform enables community level electrification through a family of hardware and software solutions. ZOLA’s technology will serve both residential and business communities, as companies of all sizes are impacted alongside the local population. ZOLA is working with leading companies such as Digicel, the largest mobile network and largest company in Haiti – and a key player keeping the country’s communication lines open – facing extraordinary energy continuity and cost challenges as 24/7 generator tower sites are taken offline.

ZOLA’s platform is purpose-built to meet the difficult challenges and extreme conditions presented in emerging markets such as Haiti. It is a world-first technology platform, purpose-built to deliver reliable, affordable and clean power to the 3 billion people, and hundreds of millions of businesses globally, who currently lack access to it.

By facilitating localised solar energy production and providing smart technology with remote management tools, ZOLA empowers Haiti Green Solutions to build out a network of distributed renewable energy devices and manage that network in a centralised fashion. Combining local energy sources like the sun with distribution operations built by Haitian companies localises the energy in the hands of the Haitian people and circumvents the fossil fuel energy apparatus built offshore and in the hands of select volatile nations.

Bill Lenihan, Chief Executive Officer of ZOLA Electric, said: “We are delighted to announce our market entry to North America – via our partnership with Haiti Green Solutions. The distribution of our world-first ZOLA technology platform across Haiti – a country with huge Energy Access issues further exacerbated by the global energy crisis – will have a life-changing impact. It will improve electrification rates considerably and give the island a new reliable source of clean, affordable and accessible energy.

Our platform’s flexibility and adaptability means it can solve any Energy Access issue across the world, even the most complicated ones. ZOLA is proud to be driving Energy Equality in Haiti at this challenging time and we are so proud to be partnering with Haiti Green Solutions who are the true heroes in this story, building out a Haitian owned and managed energy network under the most extreme conditions.” 

Doye Ogionwo, Chief Commercial Officer at ZOLA Electric, commented: “We are proud to partner with a respected, mission-driven company as Haiti Green Solutions to distribute ZOLA’s technology platform and improve Energy Access across Haiti. The partnership is a perfect example of why technology – software, connected devices, remote access and controls – is key to the future of distributed energy architecture and efficient integration of operations like those of Haiti Green Solutions.

We look forward to working together to power and connect communities across Haiti and helping to solve the country’s Energy Access and Energy Inequality challenges.”

Romain Dudon, Chief Executive Officer of Haiti Green Solutions, said: “We are thrilled to announce this partnership with ZOLA. Our guiding principle is to increase access to energy systems by partnering with the right organisations. Having searched worldwide for a technology to meet our needs and address emerging market Energy Access issues – ZOLA’s unique platform and experience is the perfect fit with no direct competition. ZOLA’s platform will solve many problems on the ground in Haiti, and together we will drive the Energy Transition here.”

The market opportunity for helping relieve Haiti’s dire circumstances is considerable. The domestic market for reliable clean energy systems is largely untapped, with electricity demand expected to increase by 50% by 2030. The island’s tropical climate makes it an ideal location for ZOLA’s solar energy products, and via this market entry, ZOLA is well-placed to roll out its distributed energy solutions for a long-lasting impact. 

ZOLA’s Haiti market entry is a blueprint for the Company to address markets globally, suffering from Energy Access challenges. The project is a pertinent case study on why countries need to locally produce their energy, be it solar energy from the sun or other renewable energy sources, while investing in a sustainable energy architecture distributed and built by local players, like Haiti Green Solutions.

The Haiti partnership follows ZOLA's recent announcement of its launch of the world’s first distributed mini-grid in Rwanda, in partnership with META (formerly Facebook), the Shell Foundation, USAID and Endev. The ground-breaking project deploys ZOLA INFINITY boxes to power over 1,000 homes and businesses in two villages in rural Gakagati via a decentralised, modular and scalable energy and storage system.

Founded in 2011, ZOLA Electric’s mission is to improve Energy Access and Energy Equality for the 3 billion people worldwide who lack access to affordable, reliable energy. Today, Zola operates in over ten countries, in four continents – powering and impacting over 2 million customers via the deployment of over 385,000 energy solutions.