EngineerAid.com

Enquiry Title: Solar Power for Health Centre in Madagascar

Enquirer: feedbacksam

Status: Mailed-out

Skills: Digital,Analogue & Mechanical Design, Electrical, Electronics, Energy, Environmental, Power.

Volunteers: 8 Volunteered, 1 Requested.

11/06/2009

EngineerAid has saved the enquirer approximately  hours of engineering consultancy fees so far on this project! How this number was calculated

A British school raised some money (£2,000) to provide solar panels to a rural health centre where they worked last summer. We have got a couple of quotes from companies who supply solar panels in Madagascar but the amounts they come up with appear to be crazily high (equiv of £160,000 and £18,000). The 3rd company we've found has solar panels (amorphous 12 volts, 14 watts / 1.167 amps) but nobody to advise us on our needs.

The information that I provided to these companies is as follows : The solar panels are needed to for lighting for the following rooms:
- 1 maternity ward with 7 rooms
- 1 dispensary with 6 rooms
- 1 house for the doctor with 3 rooms & 1 kitchen
- 1 house for the paramedical staff with 5 rooms
- 3 houses for people accompanying the sick who are hospitalised, each with 3 rooms.

In other words, 31 rooms (each with 01 bulb), which would need lighting in the evening for maybe 3 or 4 hours. Just a couple of the rooms (wards) would need lighting at night, depending on the situation.

In addition to the lightbulbs, other equipment that needs to be supplied by electricity:
- Fridge
- Electric steriliser
- Computer (if they manage to get one)

I'm thinking that we may have to resort to purchasing the solar panels in the UK if the prices are too high in Madagascar, however this could cause more problems in terms of transport & customs costs.

We would like to know:
- How many 12V, 14W panels would be needed
- What other equipment
- Cost estimates for total setup