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This past month, the Centre de Santé Sacré-Coeur de Thiotte (CSST) Clinic received a new boost of energy. Thanks to collaborative efforts between Build Health International and 121 GROUP SA, a Haiti-based energy engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance (EPCOM) firm, CSST’s newest solar-power installation is a transformative investment toward sustainable and dignified healthcare.
CSST is located in Thiotte, a mountainous remote community tucked in the Southeast corner of Haiti. Over 20,000 people call Thiotte home, yet, patients often face barriers to comprehensive medical care. Founded in partnership with the Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin (HMMW) two decades ago, CSST was built to provide comprehensive healthcare services to over 160,000 people of the Belle Anse and surrounding communities, many of whom are women and children.
Over the past several years, with HMMW and Build Health International (BHI), CSST has gradually upgraded its existing facilities with critical technical infrastructure to improve quality of patient care. Following the completion of a major electrical upgrade in 2021, CSST staff looked ahead to an even brighter future; implementing a solar-powered microgrid at the clinic, which would allow doctors, nurses, lab and pharmacy technicians, and community health workers to serve patients even more sustainably. With the support of BHI and 121, CSST received a final installation of 35 solar panels, which will cover 95% of the clinic’s energy operations.
“The solar system that’s being added will significantly reduce dependency on the [clinc’s] diesel generator,” remarks Christian Tribie, Chief Executive Officer at 121. The timing could not be better. Since 2022, rising costs in Haiti have rendered diesel fuel unaffordable and difficult to source. Furthermore, diesel generators are notoriously noisy and disruptive, sometimes leading to slower patient recovery times. The latest solar installation ensures that healthcare facility operations may continue without the risk of power outages, which all too often compromise patient safety and health.
Fully funded by HMMW, the solar panel installation is part of the second phase of an ongoing collaboration to expand and enhance CSST operations. “This was a small, get-it-done project,” reflects Brandon Hornak, Project Manager at Build Health International. While Build Health International contributed project management expertise–including the designing and engineering of a 12.6 kW photovoltaic system consisting of solar panels, 7 kW hybrid Tesla battery inverters, racking, wiring, and other materials to connect the existing electrical system–121 managed equipment procurement and the final installation of the panels.
The solar panel installation at CSST is one more step forward toward a sustainable future for healthcare services. Like other BHI projects, the major infrastructure changes at CSST remain scalable, with great potential for expansion in future years. When CSST will require future infrastructure upgrades, ranging from technical assessments, procurement of new materials, and designing a system expansion, BHI and 121 will be available for ongoing support.
Rosanna Giorlandino serves as Build Health International’s Communications and Marketing Manager. She writes about the intersections of workforce development and innovative infrastructure in global health systems.
