Solar Power: A Rural Indian Hospital’s Key to Fighting COVID-19

This case study by the World Resources Institute describes how Nav Jivan Hospital in rural India improved its resilience and capacity to treat COVID-19 patients by installing a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system to mitigate unreliable grid electricity.

• Nav Jivan Hospital installed a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system in January to address operational challenges caused by erratic electric supply and regular voltage fluctuations. While the system does not power the entire facility, it stabilizes critical operations in the intensive care unit (ICU), specifically powering ventilators used for COVID-19 patients.
• Before adopting solar energy, Nav Jivan Hospital relied on a three-phase grid connection plagued by frequent outages and monsoon-related damage, forcing a dependence on polluting diesel generators that cost over $13,000 (Rs.10 lakh) per year. In earlier years, the hospital was forced to conduct child deliveries and surgeries using petromax lamps and flashlights.
• Rural healthcare infrastructure in India faces significant energy deficits: as of 2019, approximately 40,000 sub-centers (at least 30% of those in 14 states) lacked electricity connections, and nearly 800 primary health centers (PHCs) operated without power.
• The document argues that decentralized renewable energy can enhance the resilience of rural health systems by providing uninterrupted services, reducing pollution and diesel costs, and improving financial efficiency.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Solar Power: A Rural Indian Hospital’s Key to Fighting COVID-19. https://www.wri.org/insights/solar-power-rural-indian-hospitals-key-fighting-covid-19

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Solar Power: A Rural Indian Hospital’s Key to Fighting COVID-19. 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/solar-power-rural-indian-hospitals-key-fighting-covid-19.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Solar Power: A Rural Indian Hospital’s Key to Fighting COVID-19 |date=14 July 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/solar-power-rural-indian-hospitals-key-fighting-covid-19 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020solar, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Solar Power: A Rural Indian Hospital’s Key to Fighting COVID-19}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/solar-power-rural-indian-hospitals-key-fighting-covid-19}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }