Solar Powering Health in Haiti
Haiti is home to one of the world’s largest solar-powered hospitals, the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais. Knowing that more can be done to expand renewable energy at Haiti hospitals, BHI is completing two major solar upgrades.
When the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM) opened in 2013, it became the largest solar-powered teaching hospital in any low-and-middle income country. Equipped with an array of 1,820 solar panels, HUM set out to reimagine and redefine what is possible for energy independence in low-resource settings. Since then, working with local partners on the ground, Build Health International (BHI) has worked on seven solar projects in Haiti. The most recent is a fully solar-powered oxygen plant at Health Equity International’s St. Boniface Hospital. Thanks to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and an economic feasibility study from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, this oxygen plant and phased project will meet the growing oxygen demand at the largest referral hospital on the Southern Peninsula and establish a depot system for delivering oxygen to other care providers in the region for whom oxygen is currently unaffordable and unattainable.
The strides made in powering HUM through renewable energy over the last ten years have been significant. Yet, as the first facility of its kind, the HUM solar system inevitably faced challenges within the first few years of operation. HUM was originally designed to work in tandem with the local electrical grid. However, the design underestimated the extent to which voltages stemming from the grid would fluctuate. Voltage fluctuations can be lethal to hospital operations, as surges in power can damage the equipment and threaten patient care.
Looking to maximize energy production both in the short and long-term with expected hospital growth, Partners in Health (PIH) and Build Health International went back to the drawing board. PIH engaged expert energy consultants to update the solar system. In doing so, throughout 2015 and 2016 the hospital derived 50% of its power from solar panels.
Knowing that the hospital could be even more environmentally sustainable in the areas of diesel reduction and renewable energy production, PIH and BHI once again teamed up to support the energy needs of the ever-growing hospital by multiplying the amount of energy produced by solar power.
In 2016, HUM produced roughly 5,600 kWh of energy per day. By 2021, the hospital’s energy needs rose to 9,270 kWh per day. The increase in energy demand was fueled by important upgrades to the hospital’s campus including the doubling the size of the emergency department to meet patient volumes, introducing a reference laboratory, and planning for a new diagnostics center.
To meet the growing energy needs–and those anticipated in the future, HUM requires a 2,400 solar panel upgrade and expansion. This expansion will not only reduce 2,000 tons of carbon emissions each year but it will also contribute to an annual total energy cost savings for the hospital of nearly $900,000.
While the solar expansion will pay for itself in a matter of years, expanding the solar system by more than double its original size requires a significant initial investment. With upfront costs in mind, to both complete a solar upgrade at HUM and support completion of the ongoing solar project at St. Boniface, BHI had to be especially intentional about reducing and redistributing project costs where possible.
Through the generosity of Granite City Electric and Encore Wire and Cable, these cost savings became possible. As the largest electrical distributor in New England, Granite City supplies key equipment and materials for building and maintaining solar arrays. Granite City and Encore provided the materials to Build Health International at cost. This in-kind partnership, in addition to a generous additional donation from Granite City, will result in over $120,000 in savings, allowing BHI to redeploy funding toward other essential project costs and in turn, make HUM and St. Boniface more environmentally and economically sustainable in the long run.
Building and maintaining solar-powered healthcare facilities in Haiti is no small feat. Yet, thanks to the generosity and collaboration of in-kind and philanthropic partners alike, Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais and St. Boniface Hospital are on the forefront of expanding renewable energy access in low-resource settings. Through intentional and innovative expansion of solar infrastructure, these critical healthcare facilities will reliably serve more patients while exponentially reducing their carbon footprint.
Olivia Duggan is Build Health International’s Manager, External Projects and Initiatives. She writes about the intersections of health and infrastructure, with a focus on the impact of BHI’s work on health systems in resource-poor settings.
