Improving Access to Reliable Energy for Health Facilities, Haiti and Guyana
The Improving Health Facility Infrastructure (IHFI) project was a multiyear effort funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development to assess and enhance the energy supply to underserved healthcare facilities in several countries. As part of the IHFI project, Tetra Tech has worked to improve energy services for critical healthcare facilities in Haiti—where grid power regularly damages high-cost medical equipment and is only intermittently available—and in Guyana, where health outposts serve communities accessible only by boat or plane. Tetra Tech’s work focused on installing hybrid energy systems using solar, diesel, battery storage, and both on- and off-grid energy, as well as energy efficiency upgrades at small and medium-sized health facilities.
Sixteen small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and more than 30 battery and inverter backup power systems were installed, maintained, and turned over to the countries’ ministries of health. In addition, Tetra Tech supervised complete electrical rewiring and installation of energy-efficient devices in some of Haiti’s largest hospitals.
Our team used state-of-the-art inverters, batteries, and communication technology, supported by consistent, replicable installation procedures. Nearly 150,000 square feet in the three largest government hospitals in Haiti were rewired by local staff. They installed new electrical mains, panels, high-efficiency lamps, fans, switches, and outlets, improving operations and providing a more comfortable atmosphere for both patients and medical staff. All systems were designed and installed to comply with the U.S. National Electrical Code.
Working closely with the Ministry of Health’s Project Management Unit in Haiti and the Guyana Energy Agency and Ministry of Health, Tetra Tech trained nearly 400 health sector electrical technicians to install, operate, and maintain the energy backup power and energy storage systems. We also provided expertise to local energy service providers on business administration, new technologies, customer service, and project development and management.
Through IHFI, Tetra Tech also supported other health-related energy projects, including a building energy model for a pharmaceutical warehouse in Nicaragua, renewable energy and energy efficiency audits for medical warehousing in the Dominican Republic, and improved monitoring and diesel backup power designs for hospitals in Zambia and Mozambique.
View a video on the project here.