ENERGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT for

OBENYEMI CHPS COMPOUND, GHANA

Produced for the UN Foundation

Energy for Women’s and Children’s Health Initiative

By African Solar Designs Ltd

Report number: GH 075

Audit date: 4th June 2015

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Contents

1 Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 3

2 Introduction and Methodology............................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Purpose of document.................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 5

3 Obenyemi CHPS Description ................................................................................................................. 5

3.1 Site location and layout ................................................................................................................ 5

3.2 Medical services ............................................................................................................................ 6

3.3 Women’s and children’s health services ...................................................................................... 6

3.4 Site infrastructure ......................................................................................................................... 7

4 Current Energy Status ........................................................................................................................... 7

4.1 Electrical and thermal energy summary ....................................................................................... 7

Energy sources ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Energy applications ............................................................................................................................... 8

4.2 Electrical energy systems .............................................................................................................. 8

4.3 Electrical energy demand.............................................................................................................. 9

4.4 Thermal energy demand ............................................................................................................. 10

4.5 Other energy demands ............................................................................................................... 11

4.6 Energy systems management ..................................................................................................... 11

5 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 13

5.1 System recommendation: 5kW Facility-level micro-grid ............................................................. 13

5.2 Technical details of proposed power system ............................................................................. 15

5.3 Estimated cost breakdown ......................................................................................................... 17

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1 Summary

This Need Assessment Report presents an overview of the energy situation at Obenyemi Community-

based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound and provides recommendations on the best way

to meet the center’s critical energy loads, particularly those requiring electricity. The assessment takes a

demand-led approach to evaluating potential power solutions, recognizing that energy is a means to

improved health services, not an end in itself. The assessment attempts to capture the full suite of power-

dependent health services at the center, while prioritizing those services and issues most relevant to

women and children. This is in recognition that women and children generally bear the brunt of

inadequate primary health care services, especially in resource-constrained environments.

An on-site audit was carried out at Obenyemi Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS)

Compound , a CHPS health facility1 in Ghana. The facility serves the local community at Obarpa trading

center and its surroundings. It offers family planning, antenatal, delivery, emergency obstetrics and

pediatric services as specialized women’s and children’s health services.

Current energy situation: The facility is off-grid with the nearest connection point located more than five

km from the site. Obenyemi Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound therefore

depends on off-grid energy systems for electricity. It currently has two solar photovoltaic (PV) systems

with a total on-site capacity of 0.9 kilowatts (kW), of which 0.7kW is currently operational. The facility has

an estimated current daily electrical demand of 8.7 kilowatt hours (kWh)/day that is only partially met. A

petrol pump is present and is used to pump water into a storage tank.

Proposed solution: Obenyemi Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound is

recommended to have a 5kW facility-level micro-grid to meet a future modeled daily energy demand of

about 15.4 kWh/day. The power system voltage should be 48 volts direct current (VDC) for the solar supply

and 240 volts alternating current (VAC) for the power supply. The proposed facility-level micro-grid has a

medium potential of being expanded into a community mini-grid, based on a preliminary assessment of

distance to and number of nearby households and businesses.

It is recommended that all buildings should be connected to the facility-level micro-grid and wired to

240VAC with sockets and fittings. This should be done using appropriately sized cables and sited poles

according to Ghana electrification standards2. Remote monitoring of the system and load limiters in staff

quarters should be used as part of a holistic energy management approach.

The total cost3 of the proposed solar PV system for Obenyemi Community-based Health Planning and

Services (CHPS) Compound is estimated at between US$ 26,150 and US$ 46,100, based on low/high-end

equipment costs for Ghana. The table below summarizes proposed power solutions for this facility.

1 A further description of health facility levels in Ghana is found in the Country Summary. 2 Ghana adheres to International Electricity Commission (IEC) standards, outlined further in the Country Summary. 3 Cost estimates include all power system components, transportation, installation, taxes (if applicable) and a contingency amount. They do not include remote monitoring or any recommended appliance costs.

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Table 1.1: Proposed energy solution for critical loads at Obenyemi Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound 4

Critical Need Current Energy Situation Immediate Solution (proposed

energy source)

Lighting Solar PV - operational Facility-level micro-grid

ICT Solar PV - operational. Facility-level micro-grid

Staff electricity Solar PV - operational Facility-level micro-grid

Water pumping Petrol water pump Facility-level micro-grid

Refrigeration Solar PV - non operational Facility-level micro-grid

Sterilization No heat-based sterilization LPG

4 Abbreviations used in this table include Information and communications technology (ICT) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

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2 Introduction and Methodology

2.1 Purpose of document This report presents the results of an energy audit and needs assessment conducted for the OBENYEMI

CHPS. It provides a detailed assessment of the center’s energy usage (demand and supply) and makes

recommendations for how to improve the availability and quality of energy services at the facility. The

recommendations offer suggestions on ways to conserve energy/reduce costs, while maintaining reliable

power supply to ensure continued provision of health care services to the community – women and

children in particular. This report was prepared with support from and as part of the United Nations (UN)

Foundation’s Energy for Women’s and Children Health initiative in Error! Reference source not found.,

which seeks to help map the energy needs of government health facilities across Error! Reference source

not found. and design electricity solutions to address those needs.

2.2 Methodology A three-step process was used to develop this report. The first step involved identifying the OBENYEMI CHPS for inclusion in this initiative. The OBENYEMI CHPS was chosen (along with roughly 75 other health facilities) following a consultative process with key energy and health sector stakeholders in Error! Reference source not found.. Criteria included high maternal and child health vulnerability or mortality, as well as low electricity access. The government of Error! Reference source not found. approved the inclusion of the OBENYEMI CHPS in this analysis. The second step involved conducting an on-site energy audit5 on 4th June, 2015, including interviews with

available staff. Auditor teams were trained by African Solar Designs (ASD) prior to the audits and used a

survey tool designed by ASD and UN Foundation specifically for this work. The tool is based on the United

States Agency for International Development (USAID) Powering Health site evaluation tool.

Following the audits, ASD carried out a comprehensive analysis of the data collected on site, using

international best practices to evaluate the most cost effective, sustainable systems to meet the power

needs of health care practitioners and patients.

An accompanying Country Summary report consolidates analysis and recommendations for all facilities in

Error! Reference source not found..

3 OBENYEMI CHPS Description

3.1 Site location and layout OBENYEMI CHPS is located on the outskirts of Obarpa town, Yilo Krobo district, Eastern region. The site

is a CHPS level health facility, and was established in 2006. The surrounding community has a population

of 2,500.

5 Samuel Adu-Asare and Emelia Poku completed the energy audit under the supervision of ASD.

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3.2 Medical services This facility provides outpatient services including reproductive health services, minor operations, and

antiretroviral care. A summary of key operational information is given below.

Table 3.1: Key operational information for the OBENYEMI CHPS

Key Information

Opening hours 24

Days of the week open 7

Number of buildings 1

Full-time medical staff 2

Support staff 1

Number of beds 4

Approximate number of outpatients per month

200

Figure 3.1: Proportion of male and female outpatients treated per month

Figure 3.2: The main buildings at Obenyemi CHPS Compound

3.3 Women’s and children’s health services OBENYEMI CHPS has one community health nurse (CHN) specializing in the care of women and children.

Women’s and children’s health care offered at the facility includes: family planning, antenatal, delivery,

emergency obstetrics and pediatric services. The main health issues reported by women visiting the

facility include malaria and sexually transmitted diseases. The main children’s health issues reported

include malaria, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and diarrhea.

40%

60%

Male

Female

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The following is a snapshot of the services available for women at this facility:

Table 3.2: Maternal health care at OBENYEMI CHPS

Maternal Health Summary

Number of maternity beds 1

Number of full time women’s health staff 1

Indicative number of births per month 2

The facility offers both on-site and off-site community outreach services. The services offered are:

antenatal clinics (ANC), post natal clinics (PNC), home clinics and child weighing.

3.4 Site infrastructure Medical services buildings: The site contains one medical building, used in offering all the medical services

provided at the facility.

Staff housing: OBENYEMI CHPS site also includes housing for some of their medical staff. There are three

housing units with electricity supply.

Sanitation: There are three pit latrines and four Kumasi ventilated pit latrines at the site, none of which is

lit at night. Waste is managed through disposal at a dug-out pit.

On-site water services: There is no running water on site. The facility has a borehole from where water is

pumped using a petrol water pump. There is a 2,500 liter raised tank used for water storage.

Transportation: The facility has a motor bike used for transportation needs, including emergency

transportation.

4 Current Energy Status

4.1 Electrical and thermal energy6 summary

Energy sources

Obenyemi CHPS does not have grid electricity. Existing off-grid systems at the site are summarized below

and discussed in more detail in Sections 4.2 and 4.4.

Table 4.1: Summary of off-grid energy sources on-site

Energy Source Number of Systems Total Capacity

Solar PV 2 900W

LPG 1 n/a

Petrol 1 n/a

6 Thermal energy sources are associated with heat production and include wood, charcoal, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, gasoline, etc.

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Energy applications

During the site audit, a census of energy dependent appliances was taken. The table below shows energy

applications at both the medical departments and staff housing. Some appliances have been installed in

anticipation of an eventual grid connection, but as the site is currently without grid power these remain

unused.

Table 4.2: Details of energy consuming appliances on-site

Application Detail7 Qty Current Energy Source

GS PV Ke Ma LPG Petrol Dry cells

NS

Energy Applications at Medical Departments

Lighting Gas lamp 1 Interior (CFL) 19

Interior (CFL) 4

Exterior security 3

Medical equipment

Blood pressure apparatus

1

Scale 2

Infra-red thermometer

1

Refrigeration & cold chain

Vaccine fridge 1

Vaccine carriers 3

ICT and Audio visual

Television 1

Phones 3

Water supply & delivery

Borehole-pump 1

Air conditioning Fans 5

Energy Applications at Staff Housing

Lighting Residential (CFL) 6

Entertainment Phone charging 3

Current energy source codes: GS = Genset, PV = Photovoltaic, Ke = Kerosene, Ma = Manual, LPG = LPG gas, WC= Wood/Charcoal,

SWH = Solar Water Heating, Grid = National Grid. Colored dots: Green = Operational, Red = Not operational

4.2 Electrical energy systems The primary electrical sources at the site are solar PV and petrol generator systems. An overview of the

off-grid power systems is given in Tables 4.3 and 4.4.

7 Abbreviations used here include compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)

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Table 4.3: Summary of medical department electrical power systems

System Description8 Applications Comments

PV system 1 (Main

building)

-700Wp Solar Modules

-Solar Block (Sonnen Schein)

lead acid batteries

-12V system

-No Inverter

-Artersa charge controller

-Lighting

-ICT and

audio visual

- System is operational.

- Donated by the Spanish

government.

- Installed four years ago.

PV system 2 (main

building)

-200Wp Solar Modules

-Solar Block (Sonnen Schein)

batteries

-12V system

-No Inverter

-Artesa charge controller

-Vaccine

fridge

- System is not operational.

- Donated by the Spanish

govt

- Installed four years ago.

The total installed generating capacity at the Obenyemi CHPS is 0.9kW, of which 0.7kW is currently

operational. See Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1: Installed and working generating capacity on-site

Green = working, Red = not working (faulty)

Figure 4.2: Solar PV modules at the health facility

4.3 Electrical energy demand Lighting is achieved by both gas and solar PV. The solar fridge is non-operational and no heat based

sterilization is currently done.

8 Abbreviations used in Tables 4.3 and 4.4 include watt peak (wP), ampere hours (Ah), and liters (L).

v. fridge, 0.2

lights &ict, 0.7

Total installed solar capacity = 0.9 kW

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Figure 4.3 illustrates the electrical consumption of the equipment audited during the site visit. The total

electricity demand on-site is 8.7 kWh/day.

The critical electrical loads currently powered at this site are:

Lighting – 4-12 hours a day, 20W, solar PV powered lights are working, those installed in anticipation of grid connection are not in use..

Refrigeration - 24hours a day, 100W, not operational.

Figure 4.3: A breakdown of the current electrical demands by application and operational status

Figure 4.4: A solar fridge

Figure 4.5: Solar powered fluorescent tube

4.4 Thermal energy demand This health facility has thermal energy demands in addition to the electrical demands discussed above.

These are detailed in the table below. Site visit indicated that the health facility uses gas and petrol.

Table 4.5: Summary of thermal energy use at the health facility

Thermal source Applications Comment

LPG -Lighting in the

maternity ward

-Fuel funds are provided by the district health

officials.

-Consumption per month is unknown.

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0

Lighting

ICT andComms

staff housing

Refrigeration

AirConditioning

Daily energy requirement [kWh]

Operational Non-operational

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Thermal source Applications Comment

Petrol -Transportation

-Water pumping

-Used to power an engine to pump water into a

polytank every three months.

-Used in a motorbike during emergencies and in

outreach programs.

Figure 4.6: A gas lantern used in the maternity Figure 4.7: A petrol pump used for pumping water into a

storage tank

4.5 Other energy demands Obenyemi CHPS offers community outreach services on-site and off-site. The off-site community outreach

offers immunization and health education. For transportation, it has access to a health facility motorbike.

Portable cold boxes are used to ensure vaccinations and other treatments are kept cold.

4.6 Energy systems management A brief assessment of the current procedures and challenges for managing the off-grid energy systems

follows.

Table 4.6: Management and maintenance of existing energy systems

Parameter Site Assessment

Existing system meets health facility needs No, one system is faulty

Spare parts available on site or by request No

Training on equipment use provided upon installation No

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Parameter Site Assessment

Manual(s) available for use of system No

Procedure in place for repair / replacement of parts Yes,

Specific person on site responsible for system maintenance No

Budget available for system maintenance Yes, at the district health office.

Guard or other security on site to protect from system theft Staff members on site.

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5 Recommendations

5.1 System recommendation: 5kW Facility-level micro-grid

System design overview

Obenyemi CHPS has an estimated current daily electrical demand of 8.7 kWh/day that is only partially

met. Future modeled daily energy demand9 will be about 15.4 kWh/day. The following system is

recommended to meet the forecasted demand:

Table 5.1: Proposed system overview

Parameter Value

Electricity demand 15.4 kWh/day

Type of configuration Facility-level micro-grid

System size (kW) 5 kW

System voltage Power supply: 240VAC

DC System: 48VDC

Mini-grid potential Medium potential for community mini-grid.

9 This figure is based on a modeled future load in which six essential energy demands were identified for all sites: lighting (interior, security and medical), refrigeration, medical equipment, ICT (phone charging and computer), staff housing and water pumping. Site-specific characteristics determined calculations on what these loads – even if not presently on site – might be in future. The figure includes a 20% growth factor, with an additional 25% to account for system losses. More detail regarding the load modeling is in the Country Summary.

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Figure 5.1: Indicative layout of the proposed system

Summary of services to be supplied by proposed energy system

Table 5.2: Proposed energy for essential services on site

Key Energy Service Proposed Energy System Recommended Appliance Upgrades

Lighting Facility-level micro-grid All current lighting systems should be

converted to 240VAC LED. Security, general

lighting and specialized high intensity LED

delivery lamp to be supplied.

Security lighting [2]

General lighting [6]

High density delivery lamp [1]

ICT Facility-level micro-grid 240VAC sockets for cell phone charging and

two lap tops. [Three sockets per medical

building].

Refrigeration Facility-level micro-grid An energy efficient 240VAC fridge should be

supplied. If compatible, the present fridge

should be used.

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Key Energy Service Proposed Energy System Recommended Appliance Upgrades

Water pumping Facility level micro-grid A water pump should be considered to replace

petrol water pumping.

Sterilization LPG sterilization should be

introduced and be used in the

long term. The facility-level

micro-grid cannot supply

power for sterilization.

Steam sterilizer.

Staff electricity

needs

Three staff houses to be

connected to 240VAC facility-

level micro-grid.

Load limiters should be installed in staff quarters for energy management purposes.

[limit to one socket per staff quarter]

5.2 Technical details of proposed power system

This section describes in more detail the 5 kW facility-level micro-grid proposed for the site. The solar PV10

array has been sized to provide sufficient energy to meet the future modeled daily energy demand. Aback-

up diesel generator has been included in the system design to allow for 100% power reliability for those

days where solar resource is limited yet the facility still requires power.

Power System Equipment

The proposed off-grid solution consists of a solar PV array generating DC electricity into a DC bus where a

maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller charges the batteries. Through a pure sine wave

inverter the DC electricity is converted into AC for the final delivery to the health facility. A generator is

included as an optional feature in the event the site wants to provide backup for full-time power11. The

following diagram illustrates the two main components of the proposed system:

Power system equipment (blue dotted line) and

Different consumption units (loads) that the power system provides power to (red dotted line)

10 Ghana has strong solar resources and less well understood wind resources. Wind is highly site specific and was not assessed as part of this work. 11 For backup power to a PV/battery system, a diesel generator is generally preferable as it is dispatchable (available on demand), can be used to recharge existing batteries in times of low solar resource, and is more cost effective than additional batteries for the same purpose. For the limited portion of the time that the solar resource isn't available (e.g. rainy days), a small generator is most effective.

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Figure 5.2: Proposed system design

Technical description of power system

Table 4.3: Details of the proposed system

TECHNICAL PARAMETER 5kW

Solar Photovoltaic Array Capacity (Watts) 5000 (W)

Total Inverter Nominal Capacity (Watts) 5000 (W)

Total Inverter Maximum Capacity (Watts) 6000 (W)

Charge Controller Size To match max current from solar array + 25%

Total Battery Bank Capacity @ C10 (Ah) 1302 (Ah)

Battery Bank Voltage (Volts) 48 (V)

Diesel Generator Size (kVA) 6.5 -7.5 (kVA)

The above table details the solar array peak capacity in Watts, the total nominal and maximum capacity of inverter(s) in Watts, the battery bank capacity for 2.5 days of autonomy (Amp-hours) and the DC bus system voltage. The charge controller size (Amps) should be 25% greater than the current coming from the solar array to allow potential overcurrent flows while protecting the equipment.

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Detailed technical standards for equipment accompany the Country Summary document.

Appliance and wiring upgrades

All buildings should be connected to the facility-level micro-grid and re-wired from the existing 12VDC to

240VAC with sockets and fittings. This should be done using appropriately sized cables and sited poles.

Ghana electrification standards12 should be followed. Internal 240VAC wiring should be completed for:

The main building

Three staff houses

Water pump

Toilet block

Operational features of system

A brief description of expected service levels and parameters follows; full technical specifications are

provided in the Country Summary:

Solar power should provide 100% of the power supply.

Systems should be equipped with online monitoring equipment that will allow remote assessment of operational status and energy use.

Systems should be designed so they can be expanded if necessary.

The distribution system should be designed for eventual connection to the national grid. In particular the cable size will have to match the local country standards for grid interconnectivity.

5.3 Estimated cost breakdown

The total cost, including taxes, of the proposed solar PV system for Obenyemi CHPS ranges from US$

26,150 to US$ 46,100. Table 5.4 provides a cost breakdown for the main components of a solar PV

installation per unit (Watt) of power.

Table 5.4: Cost breakdown of proposed system

Item USD/Watt USD/kWh

Lower limit Higher limit

EQU

IPM

ENT

PV Modules 0.75 1.00

Structure/Mounting 0.20 0.35

MPPT Charge Controller 0.30 0.40

Battery bank 1.27 2.20 100 170

Inverter 0.25 0.35

Balance of System 0.20 0.60

Distribution costs 0.10 0.60

OTH

ERS Transportation 0.30 0.40

Installation 0.40 0.50

12 Ghana adheres to International Electricity Commission (IEC) standards, outlined further in the Country Summary.

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Item USD/Watt USD/kWh

Lower limit Higher limit

Contingencies 0.20 0.60

TOTAL BEFORE TAXES 3.97 7.00

TAX

ES VAT (17.5%) 0.69 1.22

Duties 0.57 1.00

Total taxes 1.26 2.22

TOTAL AFTER TAXES 5.23 9.22

TOTAL COST FOR A 5KW SYSTEM US$ 26,150 US$ 46,100

The generator capital cost has been provided in a separate table below, as this power system equipment

is optional equipment that allows for 100% power reliability to the health facility but at relatively high

operating cost for fuel. Costs for remote monitoring systems vary depending on the level of data

collection, and as such have not been included in the above calculations. A typical facility-level micro-grid

monitoring system is usually under US$1,000.

BACK-UP GENERATOR Lower Value (USD) Upper Value (USD) Cost per KVA 1,000 1,200 Cost for a 6.5-7.5 kVA Generator 6,500 9,000

Notes

1. PV Modules are monocrystalline or polycrystalline. 2. Battery bank – Flooded Lead acid. 3. Balance of System (BoS) – 10% = 15% of the

equipment total costs. Includes all electrical accessories required for installation – wiring, switches. 4. Transportation costs calculated according

to the distance of the HC from the capital – Accra. 5. Installation costs calculated per country local costs. 6. Contingencies -5% - 10% of the total

system costs. 7. VAT =17.5%. 8. Duties = Batteries-32%-35%, Charge controller- 30%, Inverter-30%. 9. PV Modules were duty exempt at the

time this study was done. 10. Generator costs have not been included