The Public-Private Alliance Foundation, working with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, held its Fifth Annual Partners Against Poverty Event at the UN on June 3, 2011.   This followed the Global Summit on electricity on June 2, organized by the Global Sustainable Energy Partnership (formerly e8) and UN-Energy (see article below).    Over 30 people from business, investment, diplomatic missions to the UN, non-governmental organizations and international organizations participated in the June 3 discussions.  Participants and their organizations are listed either within presention sections or at the bottom of this article.

 We asked these experts to come because whether we are working in Haiti, the Dominican Republic or Madagascar, people want and need clean energy and local electrification, simple, affordable housing, and better cookstoves. 

PPAF Executive Director Dr. David Stillman opened and moderated the session.  Presenters included BioGen (Dominican Republic and U.S.), Medesco (U.S.), Habitech International (U.S. and Dominican Republic), WECAN, Inc., and Project Gaia (U.S., Ethiopia and Brazil).  A presentation was also made on Viridian Energy, whose program for non-profits will benefit the Foundation. (See article.)

BioGen manufactures modular and scalable equipment to provide 200 to 700 kw of electricity for communities and agro-business sites, through gasification of a wide variety of biomass and organic waste.  According to the BioGen team, its gasification process is a clean energy solution which combines strong temperature control in the reactor with an exclusive closed loop tar recovery process.  Specialized systems clean the synthesis gas virtually tar-free, and the filtered tars are recycled as fuel in the reactor.  The result is exceptionally clean synthesis gas that will run a wide variety of genset engines, a closed-loop process free of wastewater emissions, and  the ability to operate with numerous varieties of biomass.  BioGen’s manufacturing takes place in the Zona Franca of Santo Domingo, D.R.  Brad Godfrey, Founder/CEO, Bill Yeates, Chairman of the Board, Eng. Giovanni Capello, Board Director and Alfonso Rodriguez, Sales and Sustainability Director and Frank Ciufo participated in the meeting, as did Rick Lafond and Alex Krutansky.

Medesco builds on the experience of its principals in engineering, health care and management.   Marty Borruso presented Medesco’s technology which maximizes the round-the-clock energy needs of hospitals and such institutions.  He described its flagship project, with Atlantic Health Systems / Overlook Hospital in New Jersey for a 4 Megawatt State of the Art Trigeneration system for electricity, heating and cooling.  The system will operate at over 90% efficiency, providing electric, heat, steam, hot water and airconditioning to the hospital while reducing the carbon loading by 10,891 tons per year.  Medesco’s analyses have demonstrated significant financial advantages, showing reductions in total energy bills from 45% to 60%, a simple payback of investment of fewer than three years and lifecycle ROI ranging from 250% to 400%.  Medesco principals Alfred LoBiondo and Frank Ciufo, Robert Peake, corporate director, Facilities at Atlantic Health, and John Borruso also participated.

Habitech International provides equipment, technical and financial assistance to establish building material production facilities to supply projects for construction of low-cost housing, commercial and institutional buildings, including in seismic-prone developing countries.  Its products include soil-cement interlocking bricks, concrete interlocking bricks and blocks, concrete joists for floors and flat roof structures, and concrete roofing tiles. John Weatherhead gave a PowerPoint presentation showing the equipment and the actual building, step-by-step, of 15 houses in the Dominican Republic in 2009.  He emphasized involvement of the community and prospective homeowners in the construction.  Ten houses were delivered to the NGO headed by the Country’s First Lady. The remaining five were private units for sale. This provides an effective demonstration of a successful experience which can be replicated in the D.R. and Haiti where the geology is similar.
 
WECAN, Inc., a consulting firm based in the U.S., provides training of trainers and best practices in management to support the expansion of Habitech International’s low cost innovative housing technology. These organizations are currently preparing plans for work in Haiti.  Francisco Di Blasi highlighted that these plans can also promote community mobilization, youth employment, and other steps to address local needs.  The first phase is to identify a community in rural Haiti for a “demonstrated” deliverable product, and to help design a blueprint for replication and expansion.  They are seeking funds from public, private and NGO sources. 

Project Gaia Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is part of a global initiative promoting clean-cooking fuels, particularly alcohol cooking stoves, for those living in poverty.  Brady Luceno and Harry Stokes presented the CleanCook stove, produced by Dometic, A.B.   The stove burns alcohol fuel without smoke, is easy to use, is highly efficient, and affordable to run. The stove is stable, and the fuel is stored safely in a non-spill fuel tank.   Project Gaia is working with SImACT, Inc., the Public-Private Alliance Foundation and others to manufacture the stove in Haiti and to ensure production and marketing of sugar-based ethanol and the stoves.    

The Haiti Southwest Sustainable Development Project is the 21-month $8 million launching project of a 20-year, $200 million project known as the South Coast Initiative for 10 Communes in the southwest of Haiti.  This, in turn, is the first stage of a larger program known as the Haiti Regeneration Initiative.  The UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are jointly responsible for the project, which was approved by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission and funded by the Haiti Recovery Fund.   The South Coast Initiative also receives funding and support from Catholic Relief Services, the Green Family Foundation, and others.

Andrew Morton is the Haiti Program Manager for UNEP-Geneva and the Director of this Project.  He spoke about the project and the potential for working with some of the presenters at this PPAF meeting.  He noted that the region suffers from serious land degradation, relatively low levels of investment, difficult transport links and high vulnerability to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. At the same time it has significant agricultural and beach and park tourism potential.  The project aims to: (a) Reduce poverty through the introduction and expansion of sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, forestry and energy programs; (b) Reduce the vulnerability of urban populations to flooding through restored catchments and improved river basin; and (c) Increase the contribution of sustainable forestry to help meet Haiti’s energy and timber needs.

Viridian Energy is an energy supplier serving New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois. Viridian Energy offers premium renewable energy products that meet or exceed the proposed 2020 federal environmental goal of 20% renewable energy. Many states have already adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards, which require electricity suppliers and utilities to source a minimum amount of their electricity from clean energy sources. Viridian exceeds this requirement in each state in which it operates.  Alex Stillman briefed the group on Viridian’s offerings.  See a separate article on how you can help the Public-Private Alliance Foundation by selecting Viridian as your electricity provider.  For more information or to become a customer, contact ppafoundation2@gmail.com

Other participants included Dr. Lesly Kernisant President of SImACT, Inc.; Josiane Radjoelson, Counselor, the Mission of Madagascar to the UN; Serge Beauzile and Claudel Seide, Haitian-American technical experts; Lord Kevin Lumb and Elaine Ward of Global Investment Summits;  Maria Teresa Lasa of Columbia University’s Earth Institute; John M. Finan, New York City Consulting Group, and Jonathan Hanson, photojournalist.   PPAF Board members attending included George Garland, Jeanne Betsock Stillman. Secretary and Scott Wright, Treasurer.   PPAF Senior Fellows attending included V. Judith Bowman, John Edgar Stillman and Michael Ambrozek