The Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital has started earning the benefits of a 227 kilowatt peak (kWp) solar system after it saved about Sh1 million in power bills in its first month of use.
The grid-tied solar power project is implemented as part of the Solar Hospital Innovation for Energy Leasing Demonstrator (SHIELD) project, spearheaded by Oxford University Associate Professor Jacob McKnight.
The SHIELD project, supported by Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst programme, aims to address unreliable and expensive energy in public hospitals across Africa.
Meru health executive Gikunda Mungania said the hospital was saving up to Sh1.2 million after operationalisation of the project.
Meru health executive Gikunda Mungania (C) cuts the ribbon to mark the official switch on of the Meru hospital solar project.
“The Meru hospital has been spending up to Sh3 million every month on power bills. The solar plant is a life changer and we are grateful to the Shield project for this transformative initiative,” Dr Mungania said.
Speaking during the official opening of the project, Prof McKnight said the Meru project is fully funded under a research initiative which seeks to demonstrate that green energy can transform healthcare.
The plant was installed by Kenyan company, Astonfield Solar and completed ahead of schedule, providing a full daytime energy system that ensures reliable electricity for critical hospital functions.
“This innovative project, led by the University of Oxford, is collecting real-time data on energy generation, operational efficiency, and cost savings, offering a scalable model for other hospitals in Kenya and beyond.”
“The Meru solar installation is not just about clean electricity; it’s about saving lives, ensuring reliable healthcare, and demonstrating the potential for sustainable energy solutions in public infrastructure.”
“Solar is a mature, affordable technology for public hospitals and we want to show the benefits it offers vulnerable people,” Prof McKnight said.
He said the project would be scaled to other counties under a solar plant leasing arrangement in level five hospitals.
“We hope the hospitals will use the savings made through the solar projects in improving critical healthcare services,” he said.
Prof McKnight also said the hospitals also stand to earn top dollar from energy attribute certificates in the carbon market.
