Previously, there were only two ways Belobaka residents could have power – a home solar system, which meant replacing a poor-quality lead acid battery every two years, or, using small generators and regularly spending an entire day retrieving fuel and oil by bush taxi.

However, recently Belobaka became one of the first of 100 villages in Madagascar to be powered by its own solar microgrid, instead of being connected to the national power grid,

Completing the solar microgrid took about five months, but it now has the potential to provide power to up to 5,000 people and 800 homes. It provides 83 kW of power at peak operation and has a 315-kW battery with a 110-kVA genset for back-up.

What’s more, it’s easily accessible to the entire village by being centrally located.

According to Cat dealer Henri Fraise Fils and Cie management, “The solar power plant is just 700 meters from the center of the village. It was a soccer field that the mayor decided to provide so we could place the equipment there.”

In fact, Henri Fraise was instrumental in leveraging state-of-the-art microgrid technology solutions at an affordable rate for villagers. “We designed the system and Caterpillar provided solar products like the photovoltaic panels and inverters as well as the genset. We also worked with Fluidic Energy. They supplied the battery and a team for installation, testing and commissioning.”

Also contributing to the project was the US Trade and Development Agency with an $804,330 grant. The money goes to support the technological and economic study of solar-powered microgrids for the 100 villages, including Belobaka.

Why was it important to supply the village with solar power? According to Henri Fraise, energy is an essential, basic resource that provides opportunities for the village to grow and prosper and for the people who live there to benefit from education and economic development like entrepreneurial opportunities. And, compared to other renewable energy sources, solar is relatively easy to build and is more affordable.

The Cat dealer also wanted to offer a good price for this electricity to get as many people connected as they could. Renewable energy is becoming affordable compared to diesel and generators. Today, more than 580 gigawatts of solar power are producing energy throughout the world.

Even though the build time for the project was a short five months, the team still faced some challenges. Despite its proximity to Belobaka, the solar field is far from good roads. The rainy season caused more difficulties and delays. And, Fluidic Energy’s new battery had yet to be tested in the bush. Still, Henri Fraise and Fluidic successfully installed a 4,000-square-meter grid consisting of 720 photovoltaic panels, 16 battery cabinets and the rest of the equipment needed to generate and distribute power all along the 4kms grid built in the village.

“We are proud to be part of this important project and are excited about the potential of bringing electricity to many more villages. Rural electrification is not easy. Nor is it the most interesting business regarding return on investment. But, when you see all the children smiling and happy to see you helping their village, it’s a good feeling, which gives you a feeling of humanity within your job,” said Cat dealer Henri Fraise.