A health facility worker at a clinic in Kigali, Rwanda has sufficient energy for this high-powered light that is required for complex medical procedures. (Photo: Walt Ratterman)

The energy demands of a health facility will be a critical component in the selection of the most appropriate energy system and electrification technology. Descriptions of several types of health facilities and technology options are provided here as general comparative guidelines.

Small Health Clinic (5-10 kWh/day)
Medium Health Clinic (10-20 kWh/day)
Large Health Clinic (20-30 kWh/day)

Small Health Clinic (low energy requirements, 5-10 kWh/day)

A small health clinic may have the following profile:

Typically located in a remote setting with limited services and a small staff
Approximately 0-60 beds
Lights are used during evening hours and to support limited surgical procedures (e.g. suturing)
One or two refrigerators are used to maintain the cold chain for vaccines, blood, and other medical supplies
Basic lab equipment such as a centrifuge, hematology mixer, microscope, incubator, and hand-powered aspirator may be used

Technology	System Size	Capital ($)	Operating ($/year)	O&M Assumptions
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System with Batteries	1,200 W panels 20 kWh batteries	$12,000 system $2,000 batteries	$500	1% of system cost per year (includes maintenance and component replacement, does not include security); Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years (20% of battery cost).
Wind Turbines with Batteries	1,750 W turbine 20 kWh batteries	$10,000 system $2,000 batteries	$600	2% of system cost per year; Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years.
Diesel Engine Generator	2.5 kW	$2,000	$1,400	$0.0075/kWh maintenance, $0.67/kWh fuel ($1/liter for fuel is used), operating at 4kWh per day at 50% capacity, and replacement of engine every 10 years.
Hybrid Systems	1,200 W panels 10 kWh batteries 500 W engine	$12,000 PV system $1,000 batteries $500 generator	$450	1% of PV system cost per year; batteriy replacement every five years; 200 hours of engine operation per year; replacement of engine every ten years.
Grid Extension	n/a	$10,000+ per mile	$200	$0.10/kWh power.

Medium Health Clinic (moderate energy requirements, 10-20 kWh/day)

A medium health clinic may have the following profile:

Approximately 60-120 beds
Medical equipment similar to Category I Health Clinic; frequency of use and number of devices are key factors of differentiation between Category I and II health clinics
Separate refrigerators may be used for food storage and cold chain
Communication device, such as a radio, may be utilized
May accommodate more sophisticated diagnostic medical equipment and perform more complex surgical procedures

Technology	System Size	Capital ($)	Operating ($/year)	O&M Assumptions
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System with Batteries	3,600 W panels 60 kWh batteries	$36,000 system $6,000 batteries	$1,550	1% of system cost per year (includes maintenance and component replacement, does not include security); Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years (20% of battery cost).
Wind Turbines with Batteries	5,250 W turbine 20 kWh batteries	$28,000 system $6,000 batteries	$1,750	2% of system cost per year; Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years.
Diesel Engine Generator	2.5 kW	$2,000	$3,900	$0.0075/kWh maintenance, $0.67/kWh fuel ($1/liter for fuel is used), operating at 15 kWh per day at 50% capacity, and replacement of engine every 10 years.
Hybrid Systems	3,500 W panels 30 kWh batteries 1.5 kW engine	$35,000 PV system $3,000 batteries $1,000 generator	$1,350	1% of PV system cost per year; batteriy replacement every five years; 200 hours of engine operation per year; replacement of engine every ten years.
Grid Extension	n/a	$10,000+ per mile	$550	$0.10/kWh power.

Large Health Clinic (high energy requirements, 20-30 kWh/day)

A large health clinic may have the following profile:

Approximately 120 beds or more
May serve as a regional referral center and coordinate communication between several smaller facilities and hospitals in large cities
May need to communicate with remote health centers and hospitals by way of telephone, fax, computer, and Internet
May contain sophisticated diagnostic devices (x-ray machine, CD4 counters, blood typing equipment, etc.) requiring additional power

Technology	System Size	Capital ($)	Operating ($/year)	O&M Assumptions
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System with Batteries	6,000 W panels 100 kWh batteries	$55,000 system $10,000 batteries	$2,550	1% of system cost per year (includes maintenance and component replacement, does not include security); Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years (20% of battery cost).
Wind Turbines with Batteries	8,750 W turbine 100 kWh batteries	$44,000 system $10,000 batteries	$2,900	2% of system cost per year; Amortized cost of replacing the batteries every five years.
Diesel Engine Generator	2.5 kW	$2,000	$6,400	$0.0075/kWh maintenance, $0.67/kWh fuel ($1/liter for fuel is used), operating at 15 kWh per day at 67% capacity, and replacement of engine every 10 years.
Hybrid Systems	6,000 W panels 50 kWh batteries 2.5 kW engine	$55,000 PV system $5,000 batteries $2,000 generator	$2,200	1% of PV system cost per year; batteriy replacement every five years; 200 hours of engine operation per year; replacement of engine every ten years.
Grid Extension	n/a	$10,000+ per mile	$900	$0.10/kWh power.

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Last updated: September 28, 2011

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