How Can Hospitals Benefit From Solar Energy?

In November of 2022, one of the biggest cancer care providers in India, Healthcare Global commissioned a 2.25MW solar plant in Karnataka. The system would supply clean energy to two flagship cancer centres of HCG and help save approximately ₹4.2 crores every year.

HCG is not the only healthcare organization that has taken the solar route. In recent years, many hospitals have installed solar panels to cut down on their electricity bills.

In rural regions, solar is supplying critical power to children’s hospitals and maternity wards. Moreover, the Bihar government recently announced plans to solarize hospitals in the state on a priority basis.

One Indian state is breaking all records when it comes to solarizing healthcare centres. Since 2009, Chhattisgarh has been encouraging hospitals to switch to solar. The state government has already installed panels over 1432 government health centres which generate over 66, 72,200 kWh of electricity per year.

But why should the healthcare industry make a switch to solar energy?

Healthcare is an energy-intensive industry. Clinics, laboratories, medical wards, etc. require electricity for lighting, operating medical devices, refrigerating medicines, and other critical functions. This high energy demand has three primary effects:

1. Enormous electricity bills
2. High greenhouse gas emissions
3. Absolute dependency on unreliable resources

Switching to solar energy can help hospitals mitigate all three of these effects. Producing their own energy and selling the surplus to the grid would help healthcare organizations save big on monthly energy bills. Moreover, solar power is a clean energy resource that does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Lastly, hospitals can use this energy resource in addition to grid-based energy. Storing solar energy through battery-based systems would allow consumers to power their buildings even during load-shedding and grid failures.

1. Cost Savings: The energy bills of hospitals are massive. By generating solar energy, organizations can significantly reduce their energy costs. According to a UNDP report, a healthcare facility can save up to 40% of its bills through this resource.

2. Reliability: Solar energy systems are more reliable than grid-based electricity, which is subject to power failures and load shedding. In such situations, hospitals can substitute the grid power through solar energy.

3. Low Maintenance: solar powered systems hardly require any maintenance apart from basic cleaning once every 2 weeks.

4. Durable: The average lifespan of a solar plant is 25 years. For this entire period, the system will act as a buffer against tariff hikes.

5. Reduces Carbon Footprint: The healthcare industry releases a massive amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. By switching to a clean energy resource, organizations can cut down on these emissions.

There are three types of installations hospitals can choose from while switching to solar energy:

1. Rooftop Solar– In this type of system, hospitals and clinics can install solar panels over their roofs. The only requirement is a shadow-free roof area with the space to hold the modules. Many hospitals across the globe have already installed rooftop solar systems.

2. Ground-mounted Solar– If an organization has access to a large shadow-free land area, it can use the space to set up a solar power system. HCG established a ground-based system across a 7.2-acre tract of land to provide energy for their hospitals.

3. Integrated solar roof solution– Solar solutions have advanced in recent years. Now, consumers have the option of installing an integrated solar roof where solar panels themselves act as the roofing agent.

With an innovative solar roof like Ornate InRoof, hospitals can turn their underutilized spaces such as carports, corridors, waiting for areas, etc. into mini-powerhouses and eliminate the need for sheet-roofing.

Apart from these installations, the healthcare industry can also go the open access way, and source their solar energy from existing solar farms set up by the state at a price lower than thermal-based energy.

Ornate Solar is one of the leading solar companies in India. We have partnered with the best-in-class global solar brands to provide you with a trustable, affordable, and reliable range of solar panels, inverters, and solar accessories.

We have also developed India’s first Integrated In-Roof system. Ornate InRoof is a roof made out of solar panels, which is leak-proof and looks aesthetically pleasing.

If you are exploring solar solutions for your healthcare center, reach out to us at 011 43536666 to discuss your options.