An Approach to Powering Unelectrified and Under-Electrified Healthcare Facilities

This Expert Note is part of Energy. Reach out to Lanvin Concessao for more information.

About one billion people across low- and middle-income countries access healthcare facilities without electricity or with unreliable power (WHO et al. 2023). Diesel generators, often used as an alternate power source, are costly and polluting.

Decentralized renewable energy (DRE), especially solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with batteries, offers a clean, cost-effective, modular, and climate-resilient solution to power essential medical equipment and improve healthcare delivery.

Despite global commitments to scale the solarization of healthcare facilities, there remains a critical need to streamline tools and processes for sustainable, large-scale implementation of these energy systems.

WRI has researched, developed tools and platforms, supported implementation, and convened stakeholders at global, national, and subnational levels to advance healthcare facility electrification. This expert note presents a project lifecycle approach to identifying priority facilities, and designing, building, and operating sustainable electricity systems for new and existing healthcare institutions. It draws on the authors' experiences working with partners to support healthcare facility electrification and energy planning in India and Africa across local, subnational, and national contexts.