Energy poverty, defined as insufficient access to modern energy sources, poses one of the largest threats to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. Inadequate energy access deprives more than 700 million people around the world of educational and income-generating opportunities and endangers their physical and mental health. Thus, meeting SDG #7 Affordable and Clean Energy for all is vital for fulfilling most SDGs, particularly #1 No Poverty and #3 Good Health and Wellbeing. Moreover, SDG #3 will remain out of reach until energy poverty in health facilities is eradicated. Effective healthcare provision, from recordkeeping to administering lifesaving treatments, requires reliable access to electricity. Without it, the consequences for providers and patients are disruptive at best and deadly at worst.
To address this, we are investigating a vehicle-to-microgrid (V2μG) system that will equip health clinics in low- and middle-income countries with the electricity needed to keep them running, while enabling mobile health services via access to electric bicycles and motorbikes. Currently, we are developing a mathematical framework to optimize the higher-level design of system (e.g., how many kW should the microgrid be capable of producing, how many vehicles are required, etc.) such that in unfavorable weather conditions or during times of disaster, a Minimum Viable Clinic is always electrified, and in favorable conditions, the clinic can offer a full array of health services, both on-site and mobile. This research is motivated by a partnership with the rural community of Tezhumke in the Carribean region of Colombia, where we are working to conduct a pilot of the V2μG system.
We are proud of the extensive network of collaborators that this project has brought together. Special thanks to:
- Community of Tezhumke
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Professor Justin Boutilier, Charles Ringrose Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Organización Wiwa Yugumaiun Bunkuanarua Tayrona
- José Dimas Coronado Daza (Secretario de Salud del Pueblo Wiwa)
- José Mario Bolívar (Gobernador del Cabildo R.K.M.A.)
- WEMPEC and SMP Labs
- Prof. Giri Venkataramanan, Rafael Castillo, Maitreyee Marathe
- UW Global Health Institute (GHI) and the GHI One Health Center-Colombia
- UW Makerspace
- Director Lennon Rodgers, John Lombardo, Jo Alshwaish
- Universidad del Norte – Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
- Prof. María Gabriela Calle
- Prof. Juan Pulgarin
- Prof. Mauricio Restrepo
- Prof. César Orozco
- Prof. Diana Rueda
- Fundación Salud para el Trópico
- Juan Dib, MD, PhD, Msc (Director General y Científico)
- Ricardo Mejía (Apoyo Diagnóstico)
- Ana Isabel Doria, MD (Investigador Clínico)
- Melki Elias Solis (Auxiliar de Enfermería)
- Eagle Heights Community Garden and FH King Students for Sustainable Agriculture
Many thanks to the following groups for funding the work thus far: UW GHI Graduate Research Award, UW GHI Planetary Health Scholars, Morgridge Center for Public Service, UW Fall Research Competition.
