W Cape to install hybrid inverters in rural health care facilities

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness says it plans to install hybrid electricity inverters in every rural primary health care facility in the province over the next year to guard against rolling blackouts.

Eskom has been imposing high levels of rolling blackouts on the country in the past year as it battles to maintain its aging fleet of coal fired power stations.

However, South Africa has embarked on a just transition to renewable energy with the financial help totalling about R150 billion from some western countries.

Provincial department spokesperson, Mark van der Heever says the inverters are part of the the strategy to incorporate renewable energy into healthcare facilities.

“Three of our clinics have already had hybrid inverters installed. The total cost for these hybrid inverters across 121 rural PHC facilities is estimated at around R81million.

In addition to the hybrid inverters, the department will also be embarking on solar panels at 15 hospitals across the province at an estimated cost of R80 million. This will be done irrespective of further hospitals being exempted from load shedding by Eskom.”