Solar Powered Hospital in Haiti

AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Solar Powered Hospital in Haiti

This is incredible! With 1,800 solar panels, the University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti, is the world?s largest solar powered hospital, providing 185,000 people with healthcare they previously had little access to.

Going solar the hospital will be able to generate more energy than it requires, saving about $379,000 per year. Find out all the details of this inspiring story here:

Solar-Powered Hospital in Haiti Yields Sustainable Savings | Partners In Health
 
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ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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That's great but what's with the masonry blocks? Probably being used as weight to hold down the panels? instead of actually mounting the panels to the bldg. structural steel? The roof probably wasn't designed for all that extra weight.

Hate to say it, but that could be a disaster waiting to happen.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Not to mention the lack of maintenance you KNOW will happen.

Give it a year. Maybe.
 
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william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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There will be a whole metal support structure set to the correct angle for the panels - eventually.

But , yes... it appeared the panels were positioned on the blocks in the photo.

My friend installed a similar system in an orphanage in Haiti..... one of the US suppliers donated all the materials and paid him for the install.

Solar in Haiti must be as necessary as RD - to avoid the poor grid situation.
 
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grsher

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Jan 16, 2008
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ctrob said:
That's great but what's with the masonry blocks? Probably being used as weight to hold down the panels? instead of actually mounting the panels to the bldg. structural steel? The roof probably wasn't designed for all that extra weight.

Hate to say it, but that could be a disaster waiting to happen.
Click to expand...

That is a typical way to install low slope rooftop solar modules without roof penetrations. The cement blocks are used to hold down the frames that the modules are attached to. It's called a ballast mount system. The engineering study would have been done first to see if the roof was structurally sound enough for the extra weight.
 
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ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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grsher said:
That is a typical way to install low slope rooftop solar modules without roof penetrations. The cement blocks are used to hold down the frames that the modules are attached to. It's called a ballast mount system. The engineering study would have been done first to see if the roof was structurally sound enough for the extra weight.
Click to expand...

Roofs collapse all the time. They're designed to take a little extra weight, not a lot. I doubt they were engineered to take the weight of the solar panels, the frames and the blocks. Nobody engineers and nobody builds that way. All it takes is a heavy rainfall and the gutters getting clogged or unable to handle the "unforeseen" amount of water. And the roof will collapse in on the patients.

It's an expedient way for the solar people to sell their panels - "just use our ballast mount system".

What about heavy winds? That stuff starts moving around, even a little movement is bad. That is a terrible set up. People could get hurt.
 
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grsher

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Jan 16, 2008
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It is done all the time even in Canada and the US and is approved by NABCEP. Also the people who make the racking systems are not the solar module manufacturers.
As I said in my previous post an engineering study would have been done first.
 
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Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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ctrob said:
Roofs collapse all the time. They're designed to take a little extra weight, not a lot. I doubt they were engineered to take the weight of the solar panels, the frames and the blocks. Nobody engineers and nobody builds that way.
Click to expand...

With all due respect that is a common practice here in the DR and Haiti and if the design is done per min. requirements and the construction done according to the plans there won't be an issue for the design earthquake.
 
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bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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grsher said:
That is a typical way to install low slope rooftop solar modules without roof penetrations. The cement blocks are used to hold down the frames that the modules are attached to. It's called a ballast mount system. The engineering study would have been done first to see if the roof was structurally sound enough for the extra weight.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree and have seen this type of installation on several buildings in the USA.
 
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