Inverters are essential for an array of different applications, thus a range of capacities and features are available on the market. This discussion focuses on important inverter types and applications, especially with regard to renewable energy and battery storage.
USAID’s Improving Health Facility Infrastructure (IHFI) project recently completed the installation of 12 solar photovoltaic systems at nine remote health clinics in Guyana. Installations took place over a five-week period, with IHFI staff travelling alongside the installers to monitor progress, ensure code compliance and provide training to local technicians and health workers.
View a series of slide shows featuring work being carried out under USAID in Haiti and Guyana.
Reciprocating Engines (small generators) are the most common form of small generator. In generator-only systems, the generator must be sized to handle the peak expected load, but the system frequently runs at lower loads at reduced efficiency. It is common to find oversized generators at many development country health facilities. Running an oversized generator is expensive and inefficient and should be avoided.
Maintenance logs and task checklists should be maintained for all on-site energy supply equipment.
This section provides a short summary of some key lessons learned concerning efforts to provide reliable energy supplies to developing country health facilities.
Energy management is as much about human behavior and management as it is about technology. The actions of your staff will have a major impact on the amount of energy your health center consumes.
Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) are a class of devices that power equipment in the event of grid power failure, nearly instantaneously, protecting the equipment from damage. UPS systems vary significantly in their design and functionality, affecting the amount of time they can power equipment, their ability to improve power quality and their cost.
Properly drafted specifications and the use of international standards can allow each energy system to be tailored to meet the needs of the facility while still ensuring best practice design and installation protocols are followed.
Remote performance monitoring of health facility power installations increases the speed, effectiveness and value of maintenance activities.