Creation of a Professional Photovoltaic Training Course

Haiti

OPEC FUND provided US$300,000 to Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) to develop local expertise in the design, installation and maintainance of all types of PV systems, specifically to cover the development and implementation of the second year of a two – year Professional PV Technician Training Course designed by SELF in cooperation with Haiti Tec. The project directly benefited 25-35 graduates each year from both the one-year and two-year training programs that offered at the host school, Haiti Tec. From first-year program thirty-five students have been graduated. Fifteen of them were women. Two of them immediately started solar businesses at the end of the course. This program is designed to teach the basics of photovoltaic installation and maintenance and deals with small to medium systems. The second- year program focused on larger commercial systems, system design, troubleshooting and repair, basic business practices and project management. The program is designed for students who aspire to be installation crew managers, system designers or small business operators or owners. Activities accomplished under this program include: 1. Program design 2. Writing the entire second- year curriculum in English. 3. Translation into French of one-third of the curriculum. 4. Preliminary lab design and list of materials needed.