Through the expansion of our partnership with Partners in Health (PIH), SELF installed a 10 kW solar electric generating system for the electrification of the new Village Health Works (VHW) clinic in the remote village of Kigutu, in southern Burundi. Doctors and medical staff now have the vital electricity needed to treat patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.

Landlocked between the states of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania, Burundi is ranked among the poorest countries by the World Bank with 68% of its population living below the poverty line and over half of its children not attending school. Concurrently, Burundi struggles with public health crises ranging from staggering infant mortality rates and disease to severe understaffing of medical personnel in the hospitals and clinics throughout the country.

VHW is striving to improve the healthcare infrastructure of rural Burundi. In 2007, VHW built a new clinic in Kigutu that was expected to serve 60,000 people in the community and surrounding area. While the construction of the new clinic was a substantial leap in access to medical care for the region, the long-term success of the clinic was dependent upon the implementation of a sustainable and reliable power source. Connecting to the national power grid was not an option, considering its geographic isolation.

Working with VHW staff members, SELF helped to determine an energy system that would best suit the clinic’s needs. The pair decided that a solar-diesel hybrid system was the best solution for their given situation. SELF engineered a 10kW solar electric system to provide over 90% of the power needed for the clinic. This system is designed to have most of the charging be done by the sun, while having diesel generator back-up in the event of prolonged overcast days or if unforeseen issues arise. The hybrid system was implemented to assist in minimizing costs—especially in the context of escalating oil expenses. SELF was also able to reduce long-term maintenance costs for the clinic by installing a monitoring system that allows technicians to remotely track the solar array’s performance.

This system will supply vital electricity to the clinic to ensure that physicians and staff can provide quality medical care to their patients for years to come.