Haiti – often called the “Pearl of the Antilles” is a nation defined by its strength, resilience, and enduring spirit. Yet its geography makes it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the Caribbean, facing frequent hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. Since the devastating 2010 earthquake, the nation has been on a long road to recovery — one in which renewable energy has become a cornerstone of progress and hope.
Home repairs following Hurricane Matthew
In the small rural community of Durissy, near the coastal town of Petit Goave, daily life is shaped by both perseverance and hardship. Most families live in simple brick homes with metal roofs, relying on small yard farms to survive. Access to reliable electricity is extremely limited, which means schools often operate without lighting, cooling, or the ability to power essential learning tools.
Durissy Elementary School
To address these challenges, Twende Solar, in partnership with Educate Haiti and supported by equipment sponsors including Rolls Battery Engineering, brought clean, renewable power to both the primary and secondary schools in Durissy.
Educate Haiti — an American nonprofit dedicated to fostering human capital through education — has built two new school buildings serving more than 400 students. Until recently, classes were forced to end early each day when uncooled classrooms became too hot to safely hold lessons. The new solar installation changed that reality.
Through Twende Solar’s coordination and volunteer support, the project delivered a sustainable energy system that now powers lighting and ventilation across both campuses. Classrooms are now equipped with lights and ceiling fans, providing a safer, more comfortable learning environment for students and teachers alike.
The two systems, totalling 24kW of roof-mounted solar, are supported with banks of Rolls flooded and sealed deep-cycle batteries which form the core of the project’s 72 kWh of energy storage.
The elementary school is powered by 18kW solar array and two banks of 24 Rolls 2-volt S2-1275AGM-RE sealed AGM batteries in 48V system configuration. The high school project, located less than a kilometer away, was completed with a 6kW roof-mounted solar array and a bank of 16 Rolls 6-volt S6-L16-HC flooded lead-acid models.
These battery banks ensure consistent, reliable power throughout the day — and into the night — allowing the schools to extend class hours, operate essential equipment, and create space for evening programs and community activities.
Durissy School, Petit Goave
In the future, the system’s capacity will support expanded educational resources, such as laptop computers and other digital learning tools — all powered by solar energy stored in Rolls’ robust, long-life battery technology.
For Rolls Battery Engineering, contributing to this project reflects a continued commitment to expanding renewable energy access in underserved regions and supporting community resilience. By helping power the Durissy schools, Rolls is not only delivering reliable energy storage, but also helping to empower students with the tools to learn, grow, and shape a brighter future for Haiti.
See highlights from the project below!
