Clean energy for healthcare

In April, Arne Jacobson and Meg Harper attended the United Nations Foundation (UNF) Clean Energy for Healthcare conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Arne and Meg presented interim findings from our QA for Public Facilities project — in which the Schatz Center is working with the World Bank and ECREEE to design a quality assurance framework for solar installations at public facilities such as health clinics and schools in sub-Saharan Africa.

Key messages echoed throughout the conference included:

• the overwhelming need for electricity in rural health care
• the ability for solar PV systems to meet electricity needs in the absence of reliable grid power
• the importance of pairing energy efficient appliances with these systems, and
• the need for long-term operation and maintenance — along with business models to financially support this O&M — throughout the systems’ 10-20 year design life.

During the conference, the UNF and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) released a new report which explores many of these themes — Lasting Impact: Sustainable Off-Grid Solar Delivery Models to Power Health and Education.

Further reading:

• Jem Porcaro, Senior Director of Energy Access for the United Nations Foundation, describes conference outcomes on the SE4ALL blog.
• See the conference website for event files, including our presentations on Quality Assurance for Off-Grid Power and Energy Needs in Primary Health Care in Nigeria and Niger: Findings from the Field.