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

Nav Jivan Hospital in India's Palamu district installed a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system in January 2020 to combat erratic electric supply and voltage fluctuations. This system provides reliable power for critical intensive care unit (ICU) equipment, including ventilators for COVID-19 patients, reducing the hospital's dependence on expensive and polluting diesel generators. The case highlights a broader systemic issue in India, where as of 2019, at least 30% of sub-centers in 14 states lacked electricity connections, and nearly 800 primary health centers operated without power.

• Nav Jivan Hospital installed a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system in January 2020 to address operational challenges caused by erratic electric supply and regular voltage fluctuations.
• While the solar 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.
• Prior to the solar installation, the hospital relied on the grid and expensive, polluting diesel generators, with fuel costs reaching over $13,000 (Rs.10 lakh) per year.
• Rural healthcare infrastructure in India faces significant energy deficits; as of 2019, approximately 40,000 sub-centers across 14 states lacked electricity connections, and nearly 800 primary health centers operated without power.

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} }