From women giving birth in the dark to surgeries conducted under candlelight and children being left vulnerable because vaccines cannot be refrigerated, lack of reliable power in health facilities has contributed to poor health access. Governments are not willing or lack the resources to expand the power grid to remote areas. In the hot and humid weather, a solar-powered air conditioner would greatly transform the capacity of a health facility to serve the needs of, especially, rural and remote communities.
Even where health facilities link to the electric grid, keeping power on, running air conditioning, and freezing units, among other operations, results in a humongous electricity bill. With most of the facilities being in rural and remote areas, their capitation will go into paying bills. Instead of using resources to keep the communities healthier, they end up losing the resources to utility companies, some of which come from donor communities.
The solution to a lack of power and expensive electricity bills for health facilities lies with the installation of a solar-powered air conditioner system and a mini-grid to run other operations in the health facilities.
Advantages of Solar Air Conditioner for Health Facilities
Installing a solar grid is expensive, casting doubt on the economic viability of such a project. However, a look at the unique benefit of a mini-solar grid for health facilities will help you change your mind.
Provide Access to Power
More than 940 million people or 13% of the world population have no access to electricity. These people live in neighborhoods where these health facilities are located. It also means that the facilities have no reliable power. Unfortunately, these health facilities run maternity units, surgical wards, laboratories, and medical warehouses that require reliable electric power to run. Unreliable and intermittent power puts lives at risk because life-saving devices cannot be sterilized, medicines cannot be refrigerated, and there is no quality light for medical procedures, among other procedures. It gets worse to see children dying yet life-saving equipment is available but they lack power. Solar air conditioning will, for example, keep your warehouse or fridge running throughout. A mini-solar grid will solve multiple problems with a single stroke.
Quality Access to Power
While health facilities may be connected to the electricity grid, the expansive infrastructure may not be reliable. Calamities along the line and maintenance schedules result in interruptions. Unfortunately, there is no telling whether the hospital will be having an emergency medical procedure at that moment. Solar power ensures that the hospital has a reliable, constant, and quality supply of electricity to keep the health facility running.
Cost Reduction
Health facilities have their resources overstretched worldwide. The limited resources are better directed towards acquiring the latest life-saving medical device or hiring more personnel instead of paying utility bills. A localized solar-grid will save the resources spent on electricity bills and leave the facility with money to pay workers or buy necessary equipment.
The cost of running a health facility also makes services expensive for a community that could be struggling with other challenges. If the hospital can reduce its running cost through such initiatives as the installation of a solar air conditioner, the local community will be slapped with smaller bills. Such measures by hospital management make it cheaper for local populations to access health services.
Building a Resilient Health Facility
When disasters like floods and earthquakes strike, people look up to health facilities for refuge. Unfortunately, the facilities that are connected to the national grid are caught up in the mayhem and cannot serve the community because they are disconnected from the power grid. Health managers must, therefore, work hard to build resilient and self-reliant health facilities powered using solar. A solar-powered air conditioner, for example, will keep medicines and vital supplies ready to serve the population that turns to the facility for refuge. It is easier to rehabilitate and reconnect a mini solar grid compared to extensive infrastructure running for hundreds of miles.
Above all, investing in solar energy is one of the tricks to make health facilities sustainable. It reduces reliance on pollutant energy sources like diesel-powered generators.
Installing a Solar Hybrid Power System
The world is gradually but confidently embracing the use of solar hybrid air conditioner in health facilities because of the advantage it offers, including the provision of clean energy and reduction in power utility cost. The hybrid system allows you to tap into the existing electricity grid when it is convenient, like at night, and revert to solar power during the day.
Why Enovatek is the Perfect Solar Air Conditioning Partner
Enovatek is the leading solar installation company providing comprehensive packages to health facilities around the world. Innovative solutions guarantee an energy-saving system that is tailored to your specific needs. Whether it is for commercial, residential, or public utility, Enovatek will inspect, install, and maintain your solar power system to make it reliable and meet your long term power needs.
