Solutions for Energy Sovereignty

This workshop brought a group of students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute to Santo Domingo to develop a set of solar PV options for the Santo Domingo Housing Development. The students were tasked with optimizing the cost-benefit ratios for three solar PV scales: residential (single panels), commercial (a larger shared array), and utility (multiple arrays). They determined that the commercial option was by far the most financially viable. They also explored options for alternative financing methods, including applying for grants from the EPA and Department of Energy. The Santo Domingo Housing Authority does not have the budget to incorporate solar infrastructure into the soon-to-be-constructed development but will leave the buildings solar-ready for when it does secure funding.