Efficiency of Solar Power Supply Installation in Health facilities in Sisaket province

Abstract

A Study on the Efficiency of Solar Power System Installation in Health Service Facilities in Sisaket Province This study aimed to examine the budget sources for solar power system installation, installed capacity, annual electricity value produced, reduction of CO₂ emissions after installation, and the payback period of the solar power system in health service facilities in Sisaket Province. The study covered installations in hospitals, district public health offices, and subdistrict health promoting hospitals. Data collection was conducted between January and June 2024, and descriptive statistics such as number, frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, maximum, and minimum were used for analysis. The results are as follows:

General Information of Health Facilities in Sisaket Province with Installed Solar Power Systems Among the hospitals, the majority were community hospitals, accounting for 91.00%, followed by regional hospitals (4.50%) and general hospitals (4.50%). All 22 district public health offices (100%) had solar power systems installed Budget Sources for Installation For hospitals, the main funding source was hospital revenue funds (68.42%), followed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (21.05%) and donations (10.53%). For district public health offices and subdistrict health promoting hospitals, the installation budget came entirely (100%) from hospital revenue funds.Installed Capacity In hospitals, the highest annual capacity was 350,400 kWh, the lowest was 11,680 kWh, with an average of 114,261.14 kWh and a standard deviation of 114,012.53. The total annual capacity was 2,170,961.60 kWh. The highest annual electricity value generated was 1,552,272.00 THB, the lowest was 51,742.40 THB, with an average of 506,176.84 THB and a standard deviation of 505,075.50. The total annual electricity value generated was 9,617,359.89 THB.For district public health offices, the total installed capacity was 110 kW, generating 128,480 kWh per year, with a total electricity value of 569,166.40 THB per year. Subdistrict health promoting hospitals had a total installed capacity of 221.50 kW, producing 258,712.00 kWh per year, with an electricity value of 1,146,094.16 THB per year.Reduction of CO₂ Emissions after Installation In hospitals, the maximum reduction in CO₂ emissions was 170.71 tonCO₂/year, the minimum was 5.69 tonCO₂/year, with an average of 55.67 tonCO₂/year and a standard deviation of 55.55. The total CO₂ reduction was 1,057.68 tonCO₂/year. District public health offices saw a total reduction of 62.70 tonCO₂/year, while subdistrict health promoting hospitals reduced 126.13 tonCO₂/year. Payback Period For solar systems installed in 22 district public health offices (3-phase, 20 kW), the payback period was 5.80 years. At Khun Han Hospital, the payback period was 3.19 years, and for subdistrict health promoting hospitals, the payback period was 5.14 years. However, if calculated using the median cost, the payback period was 7.24 years.

Recommendations and Development GuidelinesThe study suggests expanding solar power system installations to all health service facilities in Sisaket Province, including subdistrict health promoting hospitals under the Provincial Administrative Organization. It also recommends exploring ways to increase capacity to meet additional electricity needs, such as identifying areas suitable for expansion and reducing dependence on electricity from the Provincial Electricity Authority. Real-time data collection should be conducted to ensure accurate analysis. Centralized data collection is needed to analyze and address problems and improve operations. Other related factors—such as maintenance, weather conditions, and dust levels—should also be monitored for better system performance. Furthermore, other initiatives under the “Smart Energy and Climate Action (SECA)” policy should be pursued, including the replacement of energy-saving equipment, promotion of electric vehicles, construction of energy-efficient buildings, expansion of green areas in hospitals, enhancement of telemedicine services, proper waste and wastewater management, and adoption of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)