EarthSpark Mobilizes Solar-Powered Lighting for Disaster Relief in Haiti

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EarthSpark International, a U.S.-based nonprofit that operates in Haiti, is raising money to send solar lamps to the country to assist in disaster relief efforts. The organization is working with a coalition of fellow Clinton Global Initiative members to coordinate the supply and distribution of solar-powered products in Port-au-Prince. These portable power options can have an immediate impact on the communities and individuals in terms of safety and well-being.

“EarthSpark and its partners are working to provide thousands of solar lamps and mobile phone chargers. These are a simple and efficient solution that will greatly address both the lighting needs and the security of the devastated communities across Port-au-Prince.”

“Port-au-Prince is without light or power,” said General Wesley K. Clark, U.S. Army (ret.). “EarthSpark and its partners are working to provide thousands of solar lamps and mobile phone chargers. These are a simple and efficient solution that will greatly address both the lighting needs and the security of the devastated communities across Port-au-Prince.”

Companies including SunNight Solar, SunTransfer, D.Light Design, and Barefoot Power are poised to send over 50,000 solar lamps, mobile chargers, and flashlights. The coalition has secured donor commitment for the deployment of 6,500 lamps and 800 mobile phone chargers, which are already en route to Haiti. They are partnering with Partners in Health and relief organizations to distribute these products on the ground.

EarthSpark has also raised funds to install 1.8 kilowatts of solar-powered lighting in hospitals run by Partners in Health. “Lighting is critical to our operations, but the diesel to run our generators is scarce,” says Partners in Health founder Paul Farmer. “The provision of solar-powered lighting, facilitated by EarthSpark, will allow us to focus our efforts on supplying medical services to those in need.”

About EarthSpark International

EarthSpark was created to reduce energy poverty in developing countries by creating supply chains for clean energy technology. Last year EarthSpark opened a clean energy store in Haiti to sell products such as efficient stoves, solar lamps, and solar home systems, and to become a hub for clean energy knowledge resources. The organization has fielded over 450 energy poverty surveys in two regions of the country to determine the appropriate technologies and pricing for the products it sells in its store. EarthSpark’s mission is to replicate this model in other locations in the country, which will facilitate Haiti’s post-disaster recovery.

To learn about EarthSpark’s relief efforts, visit
www.earthsparkinternational.org/relief.html