The above pictures are taken from my workshop area in the basement of my house in Boone, NC. I am configuring, fabricating additions to the cabinets, bus bars, battery wiring and circuit breakers for the project at the International Vision Volunteers Clinic in Zimba, Zambia. This prefabrication will save many days of field work. We are awaiting the battery inverters from SMA Germany to complete the shipment being handled by JAARS in Waxhaw, NC.
ABWE Karolyn Kemptom Hospital in Tsiko Togo has contacted me to purchase and install a new Digital X-ray Suite. It will be similar to the unit that I installed in Kenya for Tenwek Hospital in Bomet.
World Wide Engineering has asked me to be the electrical consulting engineer on a hydro electrical plant design, purchase and installation of a 400 KW Pelton wheel hydro plant. I have spent many hours and three trips to Germany developing, reviewing drawings, and coordinating the electrical controls for this installation at Mbingo Hospital.
We will start with 50 KW in two ground mounted solar arrays. This will reduce their overall power bill by 30%. If this works out well for them, they will increase the capacity to 150 KW total which should eliminate their electrical power bill.
The International Vision Volunteers Clinic is right next door to the Zimba Mission Hospital in Zambia. The success of that project prompted them to contact me about doing the same type of project for their clinic.
As you can easily see from the picture, the electrical distribution system that connects the incoming utility power, the diesel generator set and the output electrical distribution system at the hospital needs significant upgrades.
Now that the SMA equipment is functioning properly after my last trip with the SMA technician, we will be returning to Malawi to finish the final 30 KW of solar on the in patient building roof. This will allow the hospital to run OFF GRID during the day. This eliminates the poor power quality coming from the national uility.