SolarWorld supplies Haitian hospitals with PV panels

Dec 14, 2010 - Chris Whitmore - PV-tech.org

SolarWorld is supplying five medical centers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with 440 of its 230-watt Sunmodule PV panels to power equipment, refrigeration and air conditioning. The panels comprise the the third shipment SolarWorld has sent to the Haitian capital since it was struck by a catastrophic earthquake last January.

Preliminary site work at the clinics in La Colline, Arrondissement de Lascahobas, Thomonde, Petite Rivière and Verrettes is currently taking place prior to the mid-December arrival of the shipment, with installation expected to commence in spring.

“With the destruction of major medical facilities in Port-au-Prince, there is now greater reliance on rural health facilities. Some people have moved back to rural areas after the earthquake, resulting in a greater load on rural health centers and hospitals,” said Robert Freling, executive director of Solar Electric Light Fund, the charitable organisation assisting SolarWorld with the project.

“The reliability of the clinics’ power is absolutely critical. SolarWorld’s panels offer the double benefit of providing clean, healthy power without fail for decades while also saving money otherwise spent buying scarce fuels and making machine repairs. In turn, the clinics apply the savings to answer the primary need: medical relief,” Freling added.

“With its solar power modules, SolarWorld is contributing to a better and more reliable basic health-care system in the disaster area. Thanks to our local partners, the power systems can be installed without any undue delay,” said Dr. Frank Asbeck, SolarWorld’s chairman and CEO.