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Solar and battery storage systems provide energy access on and off the grid to ensure reliable electricity flows even during critical disruptions.
Roseau Valley, Dominica — The Island of Dominica came one step closer toward its goal of becoming a fully climate-resilient nation with two new solar microgrids. The Dominica Ministry of Education, with support from the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) and RMI, founded as Rocky Mountain Institute, has formally announced the addition of solar power and battery energy storage systems to two primary schools — Morne Prosper and Paix Bouche — which both serve as hurricane shelters.
The microgrids provide 10 kilowatts of solar power and 76 kilowatt-hours of battery energy storage to deliver reliable energy during normal operating hours and during major disruptions such as hurricanes.
The Dominica Schools Microgrid Project consisted of the rebuilding of Morne Prosper Primary School and Paix Bouche Primary School, which were severely damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017, and the installation of resilient energy systems at the schools to provide safe learning environments for their students and reliable hurricane shelters for the communities.
CLF and RMI provided funding and technical assistance for this project in close partnership with local community members. This included engaging the communities to build lasting knowledge of the direct benefits of solar and batter energy storage systems. The Dominica Schools Microgrid Project serves as a proof point for how solar and storage systems can preserve community vibrancy by bolstering energy resilience amid intensifying climate-induced hurricanes.
“We hope that by spotlighting this momentous occasion, and through the regional attention this project has already received (at the 2023 Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum [CREF] awards), this will be a catalyst for investing in greater initiatives focused on climate and energy resilience, both nationally and throughout the Caribbean region,” said Ije Ikoku Okeke, managing director of RMI’s Catalytic Climate Capital (C3) and Global South programs.
“One of our primary goals was to showcase how successful stakeholder collaboration can support the building of a more resilient environment and scaling clean energy,” said Krystle Francis, who serves as director of programs (Caribbean) for CLF. “And not just in Dominica, but also in the broader region. It is our hope that the project has the ability to direct more focus to other entities for funding of similar projects throughout the Caribbean.”
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About RMI: RMI, founded in 1982 as Rocky Mountain Institute, is an independent nonprofit that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; Nigeria; and Beijing. Find more information at www.rmi.org and follow us on LinkedIn @RMI.
About CLF: The Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) was founded in 2012 by Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. CLF invests in climate justice and climate resilience initiatives in the Caribbean & United States and helps communities prepare for and withstand natural disasters.
© 2024 Rocky Mountain Institute. Published with permission. Courtesy of RMI.
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