Solar Photovoltaic System Design and Cost Estimations for Electrification of selected Primary Health Centres in Maiyama Local Government, Kebbi State
Authors: Samaila Buhari , David D  , Shehu A.A  , Yahaya M.N  
Published: September 2022

The populace continues to turn to primary healthcare centers as their first port of call for medical attention. The majority of people who visit primary healthcare facilities (PHCs) are women and children, whose health has a direct impact on the future of the nation. As a result, PHCs are under pressure to deliver high-quality treatment. One of the healthcare institutions in Maiyama Local Government that needs dependable energy is the Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) that has been chosen. They use a diesel-powered system as their main source of power supply because the electricity supply is unstable. This puts a strain on their operations resources and has a severe impact on people and the environment. The answer to Maiyama's inconsistent, expensive, and unsafe power source is a change in the energy system. LG, and its goal is to raise the standard of healthcare delivery services. It is assumed that greater healthcare services would be available once improved energy sources are in place. The solution was suggested to be a solar-powered system with battery storage, a charge controller, and an inverter. Electricity for the vaccine refrigerator, ceiling fans, light bulbs, and mobile charge station will be provided by the proposed powered system. For each primary health center, the cost of the solar PV system's components [such as PV panels, inverters, batteries, and charge controllers] was calculated. Electrical appliances were projected to use 29,129.41 watt hours per day, 13647.05 watt hours per day, 54174.118 watt hours per day, and 14738.82 watt hours per day for Kawara, Maiyama, Andarai, and Mayalo, respectively. Based on the foregoing Observed outcomes each health center under study's needs was taken into account while designing the solar PV system. According to estimates, PV panels will cost correspondingly ₦1,264,000, ₦632,000, ₦2,370,000, and ₦395,000 for Kawara, Maiyama, Andarai, and Mayalo. The total amount all centers had to pay on PV panels was ₦4,661,000. Similar to this, it was determined that the cost of the inverter utilized in the design was ₦280,000 for the four PHCs, while the cost of the battery was projected to be ₦646,800, ₦1,176,000, ₦4,555,726, and ₦953,442 for Kawara, Maiyama, and Andarai, respectively. For this project, the cost of the inverter and charge controller needed to create the PV system was estimated for each primary health center that was chosen. 4 inverters' combined costs were calculated and determined to be. Each charge controller is expected to cost ₦30,000 and cost ₦210,000. For Kawara, Maiyama, Andarai, and Mayalo Primary Health Center, respectively, the cross-sectional area of each cable needed for the connection between PV& battery, Battery & Inverter, and Inverter & Load was projected to be 3.569 10-6 m2, 2.436 10-6m2, and 2.727 10-6m2. This study's findings support the usage of solar PV systems in primary health centers since they are less expensive to operate, extremely dependable, and have a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years.