Solar In Hospitals

Solar technology has become very mainstream today. It is being used not only for generating electricity at homes, in offices or industries but has also become popular in schools, universities, hospitals, etc. It is also finding increased application in rural areas which have little or no grid connectivity.

Also, read 10 Strange Places Where Solar Has Been Used

One important use of solar technology could be in the healthcare industry. Patients in the hospital are always in the need of oxygen. People all over the world are falling sick especially in the rural areas which are not connected with the grid and do not have a continuous supply of power. These areas, therefore, need solar energy to support the life systems in the hospitals. Using solar power will not only provide a continuous supply of oxygen but will also reduce costs, eliminating the use of diesel (in generators).

Solar technology can also be used to separate the oxygen from the air in remote locations. This process is generally cost intensive especially in remote locations without any grid connection such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hence solar energy could be used to bring down the cost and improve more reliance on power. It is because of this lack of oxygen that many people including children lose their precious lives. A pilot run was conducted in a hospital in Uganda where 25 panels were installed on hospital rooftops. The 7.5 kWh panels in these systems supplied a 300 W oxygen concentrator intermittently with the help of batteries. This system successfully helped to rescue 22 out of 28 sick children.

The technology involved is not very complex and the local people can be easily trained to use it. If this technology can be developed it will be successful in saving lives of so many children around the world especially parts of developing countries with no continuous supply of power. Solar lights are also being used increasingly in these institutions.