Electrification of public infrastructure
Light for reading, electricity for keeping food and medicines cool, the power to use a computer and access the Internet, and carrying out research using medical equipment such as microscopes and centrifuges – these are just some of the activities that require access to a reliable power supply in a health or education centre.
However, worldwide, Tens of thousands of healthcare facilities have little or no electricity , and Nearly one in three children attends a school without electricity .
A focus on sustainable services, not kWh – Designing for sustainability using a service-based model
Key concepts:
-
Access to energy is essential for a meaningful education and comprehensive healthcare.
-
Off-grid solar systems can help provide electricity to public facilities in many rural communities.
-
Ongoing operation and maintenance are essential to the longevity of all energy systems.
-
The transition to a solar energy service model supports affordable, sustainable and reliable electrification.
- Remote monitoring can help to advance the service model.
Our team works with internal and external partners across several sectors to help design off-grid energy access projects, with a focus on health and education services as the aim of electrification. Every energy system that enables basic community services must have a long-term, sustainable maintenance plan. Without it, systems that should last a decade or more can fail after just a few months or years, resulting in economic losses and environmental waste – and, above all, disruption to the vital services they were built to provide.
A service-based model that focuses on providing electrical services, rather than simply supplying solar energy systems, ensures that systems are maintained over the long term.
For off-grid solar systems, remote monitoring can now measure power supply, battery status and energy consumption, and send real-time maintenance alerts to site staff, solar technicians and government departments.
Remote monitoring can also form the backbone of a contract model under which companies receive monthly instalments once the monitoring system has verified that electricity has been reliably supplied to the site in accordance with established and agreed key performance indicators. This approach can enhance the impact of donor organisations, ministries, NGOs, financial institutions and the private sector by ensuring that solar equipment remains operational throughout its expected lifespan – meaning that teachers and healthcare professionals can focus on education and healthcare, secure in the knowledge that electricity will be available to support them.