Solar Powered
Electronic Health
Record (EHR)
Systems - The Time
is Now
Washington D.C. 02 October 2005 In the
last thirty five years the message has been
clear, but ignored. The world is being held
over a barrel - an oil barrel - when it comes
to energy. It's time to diversify our sources
of energy with a very strong focus on the
earth's most abundant energy source - the
Sun! The public and private sectors need to
take the initiative to lead the way into our
diversified energy future where the center
piece of our world's long range strategy
ought to be conservation and increased
usage of solar power across all sectors of
the economy. Your health care
organization's vision should include having
more and more of your IT infrastructure,
Web sites and computers powered by a
"hybrid" energy system that taps into solar,
wind, and traditional electrical energy
sources. In the health care industry there
are compelling reasons to acquire and
implement hybrid energy systems that
include solar power. These include
providing continuity of care during major
natural and man-made disasters and
providing power for health IT systems that
can access medical knowledge and clinical
patient data in remote locations where
traditional electrical services cannot be
reliably provided to support these systems.
This article will explore developments in the
solar energy field and highlight implications
and opportunities for the next generation of
health facilities and medical informatics
computer systems.
Introduction
In early 2000, a preliminary analysis of solar
powered computer systems surfaced very
few examples or references related to this
subject. However, the times have changed.
More efficient solar energy systems are now
being produced at lower costs which are
becoming attractive alternatives as the price
of oil climbs ever higher. The number of
examples where Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
(COTS) solar energy components are being
used to power computer systems has
increased dramatically, including
installations by health care facilities in
various locations around the world.
This article provides executives with an
update on progress related to solar powered
facilities and computer systems. In
particular, new COTS solar energy products
will be highlighted along with examples of
information technology (IT) systems that are
powered by them in different business
settings.
Solar Powered Health Facilities and
Clinical Computer Systems
Today's solar energy solutions are often
configured as hybrid systems that utilize
solar panels and small wind powered
generators that plug into the existing
traditional electrical systems already
installed in most buildings. The following
examples focus primarily on the current
status of solar power solutions as they have
been deployed in health care settings
around the world.
Health IT Systems
At Napier University's Merchiston campus in
Scotland solar panels are being installed
that will generate enough electricity to
power up to 80 of the 500 computers at the
state-of-the-art Jack Kilby Centre. They will
cover an area of 160 square meters on the
side of the building and a display board will
show how much energy is being produced.
The project includes the establishment of a
solar panel laboratory to carry out research
into their effectiveness and work to improve
their efficiency. All the power generated will
be consumed internally but on the few days
that the 24-hours-a-day Jack Kilby Centre is
closed, Napier will sell the electricity so it
can be channeled into the UK national grid.
The project is backed by the Energy Saving
Trust. The Government has set a target of
producing ten percent of electricity through
renewable energy sources by 2010. (April
2005) http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinbur
gh.cfm?id=363002005
Solar Energy Project Enhances CDC
Health Care Facility in Kenya - The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) Health Initiative facility in Homa Bay,
Kenya, benefits from a solar energy power
system that delivers reliable power and
reduce losses of vital medicine and
laboratory test samples. The facility houses
an on-site laboratory that supports a project
to reduce diarrheal diseases using a simple
household-based method to improve water
quality.
USAID & Kakuuto Hospital in Uganda - In
a USAID news release it was reported that
youth volunteers from the United States
traveled to rural areas of East Africa to work
with "Solar Light for Africa", a faith-based
non-governmental organization, in providing
power to clinics, orphanages, schools and
churches. With USAID assistance, the
organization electrified the Kakuuto Hospital
in Uganda's Rakai District using solar
energy, which has improved the health of
patients and enabled staff to treat them
more effectively. This includes solar power
for computers.
http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/fp_uga
nda_solar.pdf#search='solar%20powered%
20hospital%20computers'
Solar Energy Supports Safe Vaccines in
Latin America - Solar energy plays a key
role in the fight to eradicate Polio and other
childhood diseases and supports rural
health care throughout the world. The Cold
Chain is a World Health Organization & Pan
American Health Organization support effort
that uses reliable refrigeration to conserve
vaccines from manufacture to distribution to
point of use. Solar electricity is used in nonelectrified communities to maintain a safe
supply of vaccines and to freeze icepacks
for transport to the most remote
populations. Vaccine refrigeration, lighting,
safe water supply, communications, and
medical appliances are powered by solar
electricity at rural health care facilities
throughout Latin America.
MONOC (Monmouth Ocean Hospital
Service Corporation), the largest emergency
medical services agency in New Jersey, has
flipped the switch on a 119 kilowatt solar
energy system that will generate about 20
percent of its electricity needs and
contribute to a cleaner, healthier
environment. MONOC is believed to be the
only major health care organization in the
state to invest in such a renewable energy
system. MONOC provides ambulance and
paramedic services for more than 100
municipalities in New Jersey, as well as
medical and specialty care transport
programs for over 20 hospitals in the state.
More than 700 panels installed on the roof
of the headquarters can generate as much
as 20 percent of the electricity needed to
run the building. (SolarBuzz.com - July
2005)
Internet Village Motoman was launched in
Sept 2003 by First Mile Solutions (FMS),
bringing technology to 15 solar-powered
village schools, telemedicine clinics, and the
governor's office in a remote province of
Cambodia. According to a press release by
Bernard Krisher, the system relies on an
Internet access hub in the provincial capital,
Ban Lung, wireless-equipped solar-powered
computers in Ratanakiri, and five
motorcycles, each with a storage device, a
wireless transmitter card, and an antenna
fitted to the back. Each of the schools can
send and receive e-mail and also browse
the Internet using a non-real-time search
engine. Telemedicine clinics have a link with
Massachusetts General Hospital. The
network was implemented within one month
by a team of three (adjacent) at a cost of
approximately $500 per village. The project
was implemented for American Assistance
for Cambodia by Uni Young Technologies,
FMS's deployment partner in Cambodia,
which operates 225 rural schools with
funding from private donors and the World
Bank. In February 2005, Internet Village
Motoman was expanded for villages and
health centers in Kirivorn, Cambodia.
Other Issues
Solar Power and Open Source Software
(OSS) hit some common nerves in certain
people. The underlying philosophy is very
similar. Both appeal to the ideas of:
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Independence
Freedom
Thriftiness
National Security
Improved Health Status
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Creativity & Innovation
Being Good Stewards of Resources
System Security / Disaster Recovery Solar powered systems are excellent
alternatives that can be used in place of a
UPS as temporary power backup systems.
They might have proven to be invaluable to
the United States when Hurrican Katrina
recently hit New Orleans.
National Security / Energy Independence
- Of course, alternative energy solutions
ought to also be considered as part of
national policy to lessen dependence on oil
producing nations that could hold one's
country hostage. This is a national security
issue that will increase over time.
Alternative Energy Markets Around the
World - Finally, there are not only
numerous countries around the world where
power sources are not reliable, but that
holds true even in many remote rural areas
across the United States.
The Future
According to the 2005 report "Basic
Research Needs For Solar Energy
Utilization" by the U.S. Department of
Energy, world demand for energy is
projected to more than double by 2050 and
to more than triple by the end of the century.
Incremental improvements in existing
energy networks will not be adequate to
supply this demand in a sustainable way.
Finding sufficient supplies of clean energy
for the future is one of society's most
daunting challenges. Sunlight provides by
far the largest of all carbon-neutral energy
sources. More energy from sunlight strikes
the Earth in one hour than all the energy
consumed on the planet in a year. Yet solar
electricity currently provides only
approximately 1 millionth of the total
electricity supply, and renewable biomass
provides less than 0.1 percent of total
energy consumed.
Solar Energy according to the Worldwatch
Institute reports that solar energy has
surpassed wind power generation to
become the world's fastest-growing energy
source. Their report shows that sales of
solar cells increased more than 40 percent
last year, compared to wind power's growth
of 25 percent. World solar markets are
growing at ten times the rate of the oil
industry, whose sales have expanded at just
1.4 percent per year since 1990.
Worldwatch predicts that "solar energy may
now join computers and
telecommunications as a leading growth
industry in the 21st century."
The following are some key points to keep
in mind about the future:
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Cost of traditional non-renewable,
fossil fuel energy sources are
escalating
COTS solar energy solutions are
becoming more readily available
Solar energy can be part of a hybrid
solution that uses solar, wind, and
traditional electrical energy sources,
all working together
Hybrid solar energy systems should
be a priority solution for both 1st
world and 3rd world nations - for all
nations.
Recommended Next Steps
There are a number of recommendations
and next steps for senior executives of
health care organizations as it relates to
solar and renewable energy:
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Commission a detailed systems
requirements analysis and
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cost/benefit study into the potential
uses of hybrid solar energy systems.
Encourage health care facility and
technology designers and architects
to consider solar and renewable
energy into their next generation
designs.
Conduct a small pilot test of solar
powered computer systems and
incorporate renewable energy
considerations in all future health
care buildings.
Support political action that
encourages much higher levels of
government funding of solar and
renewable energy.
Implement a solar powered
production environment for your web
site, a rural health clinic, or a
telemedicine program.
Expand use of solar powered
systems over time as the benefits are
documented.
Take a solar and renewable energy
position and seek out funding
sources that will support this next
generation of community and
economic development.
Get started now!
It is our belief that health care organizations
and communities that take the lead in solar
and renewable energy will generate positive
public relations, attract new funding
sources, and support further economic
development. It has been clearly stated that
there are multiple benefits to organizations
and countries that make the move towards
"hybrid" energy systems that incorporate
solar, wind, and traditional electrical power
sources. Benefits range from improved
health status, reduced energy consumption,
energy independence, reductions in
operating costs, and increased protection
and disaster recovery capabilities in times of
man-made and natural disasters.
Other References
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http://www.virtualexplorers.org/ARD/
Dolphin/solar.htm
http://www.enersol.org/aboutus.html
http://www.thesustainablevillage.com
/projects/ghana.html
http://www.ecomall.com/biz/solarcat.
htm
http://www.synergyii.com/ESOLAR/
http://www.nrel.gov/
About the Authors
Peter Groen is a faculty member of the Computer &
Information Sciences Department at Shepherd
University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Joanne Marko is a health care consultant in the
metropolitan D.C. area.
Marc Wine is the Coordinator for Intergovernmental
Health IT within the Office of Intergovernmental
Solutions, U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA). He also is a guest lecturer on Medical
Informatics at the George Washington University.
Douglas Goldstein is a "Practical Futurist", author,
keynote speaker, and President of Medical Alliances,
Inc.