Haiti - Technology : Solar energy for the National Public Health Laboratory
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) organization, together with the Ministry of Public Health (MSPP), inaugurated a photovoltaic solar energy system at the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP), located in Delmas 33.
This system is composed of 288 photovoltaic panels capable of providing a power of 131 kilowatts, and was financed by the American Government. The system is expandable, that is to say, it will be possible to add other solar panels, other batteries and other inverters in the future to increase its power if necessary. The solar panels have a lifespan of 25 years and the lithium battery system 10 years [storage capacity of 388.64 kilowatt/hour].
"Until now, CDC-provided vaccine storage equipment has run on electric power or generator power only. Also, the unavailability of electricity and the scarcity of fuel represented great difficulties and potential threats of loss of any Covid-19 vaccines or biological specimens stored at the LNSP. This installation of solar panels therefore gives the laboratory cold chain greater energy autonomy. Therefore, they improve safety in terms of the preservation of vaccines or biological specimens," explained Alex Larsen, Minister of Public Health.
This system is a sustainable solution to the fuel shortages and power cuts facing the country, said the director of CMMB in Haiti, Dianne Jean-François, in her speech. It was designed, built and installed by LC Renewable Energy Solutions of Croix-des-Bouquets, which provides a 2-year warranty and preventive maintenance. During the last six months of the warranty, the firm LC Renewable Energy Solution will train LNSP technicians to take over.
It should be remembered that the essential functions of the LNSP consist of serving as a reference laboratory in the field of medical biology, supporting surveillance systems for the prevention and control of diseases, supporting the response to health emergencies and disasters and supporting actions for the maintenance of environmental health. The Laboratory is made up of four basic departments : virology/serology, parasitology, general bacteriology and mycobacteriology. It also has a Molecular Diagnostics Unit.
