Energy for Rural Health Centers

Introduction

Health professionals in rural clinics must address unexpected challenges on a daily basis. Poor infrastructure can delay the delivery of critical medical supplies, and inclement weather can make it difficult for patients to access the clinic. An unreliable energy source adds to these challenges. If the cold chain is inoperable when supplies arrive, vaccines, blood, and other medicines may go to waste. If a clinic is without lights, patients arriving at night must wait until morning to receive care. Selecting an appropriate source of reliable and sustainable energy as well as introducing measures for efficient energy consumption can help mitigate some of the challenges inherent in operating a health facility in the developing world. This article will provide an overview on options for the improvement of the energy situation in rural health facilities.

Most of the information related to electricity supply for health centers is based on the excellent USAID publication "Powering Health".

Electricity Supply

Stepwise Approach to Electrifying a Health Center

1. Identify the Health Center's Current Energy Demands
   Identify current energy needs and applications, e.g. for lighting, refrigeration, communication, etc.
2. Account for Near-Term Change
   Determine whether energy demands will change in the near-term.
3. Establish Target Energy Consumption in kWh/day
   Use tools such as the USAID Health Clinic Power System Design Tool (4 - Electric Load Inputs) or the Energy Audit Spreadsheet (Worksheet 7 - Future Electric Applications) to calculate the future electric energy consumption in kWh/day.
4. Determine Technologies Needed to Meet Target
   Evaluate energy technologies.
5. Procure, Design System, and Install Technology
   Select the most appropriate energy technology.
6. Maintain and Financing Your Energy Technology
   Institute financing mechanism(s) accounting for operation and maintenance needs and costs.

Remember to contact an expert for assessment, system design, procurement, installation, and maintenance of energy technologies!

Defining Energy Needs

When considering the type of electrification needed to sustain daily operations, a facility must first understand its basic needs. The needs assessment will include an inventory of the types of equipment used in the facility and the power required to operate each device. Understanding the average “daily load”, or the amount of power required to operate equipment under normal working conditions, will influence the choice of power supply. Once the daily energy requirement is established, a range of electrification options can be considered. Understanding the need will also provide managers with a realistic budget for procuring, installing, and maintaining the new system.

Calculating Energy Needs of a Health Facility

The USAID Health Clinic Power System Design Tool (4 - Electric Load Inputs) and/or the Energy Audit Spreadsheet (Worksheet 7 - Future Electric Applications) as well as the examples of energy demands of typical rural health centers in developing countries can help identifying the overall energy demands of health facilities. The amount of expected energy consumption in kWh/day, in addition to expert consultation, will assisst in the selection of appropriate electrification technology.

Once a facility has comprehensively analyzed the energy requirements of its day-to-day operations, it must be determined whether those demands are likely to change. Facility managers must think strategically about the possibility that energy demands may increase due to the addition of patients, extended operating hours, or new services. Once this process has been completed and an adequate accounting of needs has been made, the manager can determine the various energy options to meet those demands. These options must be considered in light of all facility-specific variables.

Categorization of Health Clinics

The following section describes several types of health facilities. The energy demands of a health facility will be a critical component in the selection of the most appropriate electrification technology. Please note: these descriptions are provided as general comparative guidelines and are not precise descriptions of any one facility.

Health Posts

Health posts are the smallest, most basic health facility. These locations typically will not have a permanent doctor or nurse on staff. The health post may have a full- or part-time primary healthcare provider. Services available at health posts include the treatment of minor illnesses, the tending of minor injuries and, where possible, the provision of basic immunization services. Due to the limited medical equipment used, the overall energy demand of health posts is relatively low. The energy demands of a health post will be satisfied through Category I Health Clinic (see below) electrification options, while taking into account the reduced daily demand for energy.

Health Clinics

Health clinics are generally larger than health posts and employ one or more full-time nurses. Clinics may also employ a part-time physician, depending on the size and location. A health clinic offers a wider array of services than a health post and will possess equipment allowing for more sophisticated diagnoses. Rural health clinics generally fall into one of three categories (Categories I, II and III - see table below) based on the type and number of medical devices used in the facility and the frequency with which they are used on a daily basis. Local resources may make specific energy options more or less advantageous in each location. The categories are listed on page five. Other types of health facilities that require reliable and sustainable electrification include blood banks, stand-alone laboratories and pharmacies, and anti-retroviral treatment (ARV) clinics. Blood banks, stand-alone labs, and pharmacies will, depending on their size, utilize equipment similar to that found in Category I or II Health Clinics and will have similar energy needs. ARV clinics will have significant energy demands similar to those found in a Category III Health Clinic or higher. Energy requirements could be intensive for some ARV clinics due to the computer technology and additional equipment required to perform rapid blood analyses.

The table Health Clinic Energy Needs below illustrates the estimated cost of various energy technologies for a range of clinic sizes. In general, renewable energy options (e.g., photovoltaic (PV) system) will have higher capital costs than diesel or other fuel-based electricity generating options. However, over the long-term, renewable systems will have lower operating costs and produce fewer or no emissions. In renewable energy systems, battery maintenance, occasional cleaning, and theft-prevention will be the major recurring costs. A hybrid system using an alternative energy source (e.g., PV system) and a traditional generator (e.g., diesel) will have a higher up-front capital cost than a renewable-only system; however, hybrid systems provide greater flexibility, including the ability for one system to support the other. For illustrative purposes, a PV/diesel hybrid is represented in the table Health Clinic Energy Needs. Actual prices in a given location may vary considerably from those used in the table.

Further Reading 

Powering Health: Electrification Options for Developing Country Health Facilities - USAID website covering all major issues on electricity supply for rural health centers. Several country case studies available. Offers tools for energy audits and load calculation. Highly recommandable!

USAID: Powering Health: Electrification Options for Rural Health Centers - Step-by-step guide on energy needs, power generation options, and sustainability issues for rural health centers. Case studies from Botswana and Uganda.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA) (1998): Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics -  Publication on energy issues of rural health clinics: energy applications, electrical system components, system selection and economics, institutional considerations. Also provides case studies and lessons learned.

GTZ (1996): Energy Supply for Health Care Facilities in Developing Countries - GTZ publication on energy sources, energy requirements and energy management for rural health centers.

Practical Action: Solar PV Refrigeration of Vaccines - Technical Background of solar refrigeration