Sustainability of Engineering Projects in Areas with Limited Accessibility

Students: Daniel Main, ECE, along with Amanda Broseus (Chemical Engineering) and Ryan Van Soelen (Engineering Physics)

Advisors: Roger Dzonczyk (Engineering) and Terri Bucci (Education and Human Ecology)

Abstract: The International Energy Agency estimates that 1.2 billion people – approximately 20 percent of the world’s population – do not have access to electricity. Advances in solar technologies now allow for many areas in the developing world, particularly in remote locations, to build affordable small scale electric power systems to generate electric energy for families, schools, businesses and medical clinics.  Students in the Ohio State organization Solar Education and Outreach (SEO) have designed and installed solar systems for the past three years in Haiti. The key to success for such projects are the establishment of long term sustainability and ownership by the local people.  In order to maintain these systems, SEO must foster community involvement, find affordable and reliable system components within Haiti, and educate the communities on the basic engineering concepts of solar electric systems and maintenance strategies. The objective of this study is to develop methods to educate the community on the practical theory, repair and maintenance of small solar electric systems. Preliminary work has already been completed in our project. One of us (AB) has traveled to Haiti in December 2013 to meet with local officials and assess SEO’s next solar electric system installation site.  During spring break 2014, SEO students will install a solar system at a local school in La Fauge. They will partner with local college engineering students from Haitian Universities in the project and, together, provide the community with a basic understanding of the system and methodologies for repairing and maintaining the system. Prior to their trip to Haiti, the students will learn about educational and community involvement techniques through specific course work and readings. From this endeavor, they will develop a better understanding of the most effective methods to teach, in a short time frame (one week), the concepts of solar electric theory and practice in order to make the system sustainable with local talent. This study fosters the growth of humanitarian engineering as an important field in the global setting as well as builds a basis for future projects. 

Booth: 238