Page 81 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

50 Willy Schauwers

and compare different technology choices. but the smallest health centres (as opposed to
Professional installation of energy equipment PV-only systems).
is critical for proper operation. Several donor • Invertors that easily allow users to override
programmes have been observed in the field low voltage cut offs (or inverters that can eas-
which have provided a health facility with energy ily override protection against deep discharge
equipment, but did not cover installation costs. of the batteries) are not recommended. Low
The results are often that the health facility lets voltage cut off settings should often be
the equipment sit idle, or that they use a local increased from factory set default values to
inexperienced technician resulting in incorrect prolong battery life in developing country
installation of the equipment. settings.
• Access to locally available spare parts should
be a consideration in initial equipment pro-
Key lessons learned
curement.
• Energy system cost evaluations based only
upon initial cost may discourage the choice
of renewable energy sources. Life-cycle 2.3 Equipment maintenance,
costs and levelized cost of energy should be servicing and repair
used and can be calculated using, for exam-
ple, the online homer tool (http://tools. Laboratory workshop
poweringhealth.org/). Fuel supply logistics
should not be underestimated when compar- The laboratory (network) can rely for repair,
ing PV and fuel-driven generator systems. maintenance and servicing on the private sector
• Perceptions are often inaccurate or oversim- (electricians and laboratory equipment service
plified. Common misperceptions are that engineers from the manufacturer) or they can
renewable energy power systems are unaf- have their own designated laboratory workshop.
fordable or that they require no maintenance. The justification for a designated laboratory
• Anti-theft measures should be considered in network workshop facility to repair and main-
all design plans. tain laboratory equipment will depend on the
• ‘Maintenance free’ sealed batteries are a good amount of equipment involved and availability
option for health facilities. of local agents and outside expertise. To support
• Professional installation with proper labelling one central laboratory and four to six regional
is critical for long-term system operation. laboratories, one small workshop is usually ade-
• Battery-based systems designed for and quate. This can be staffed by one or possibly two
dedicated to a specific load (for example, service technicians depending on the amount
computer, vaccine refrigerator) have the high- and degree of repairs required. Expertise in the
est success rate. maintenance and repair of equipment, espe-
• Oversizing battery banks to provide multiple cially electronics and refrigeration is essential
days of autonomy often results in continu- and can be a shared resource used for labora-
ously discharged batteries unless the size of tory and cold-chain support. More sophisticated
the solar array is also increased or a generator pieces of equipment will usually need to be sent
is added to the system. back to the manufacturer or local supplier for
• In order to recharge batteries and reduce sys- maintenance and repair. This, or a visit from
tem size and cost, diesel-powered generator/ the supplier, is a service that can be arranged
PV hybrid systems are recommended for all through the workshop staff.

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