KXN Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria, solar-powered vaccine fridges - Ashden Award winner

This video can be downloaded here: http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/kxn KXN won an Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in 2005.

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KXN Nigeria Ltd has managed an impressive programme which has installed 189 solar-powered vaccine refrigerators in Northern Nigeria.

Diseases such as polio, tuberculosis and diphtheria can be controlled and eventually eliminated with vaccines. However, unless these vaccines are kept cool (around 3°C) from the point of manufacture until final use, they deteriorate. In the hot, dry and dusty climate of north east Nigeria, vaccines can deteriorate rapidly. Standard refrigerators that require mains electricity are of little use in remote health centres, because the mains supply is unreliable or simply non-existent. Diesel generators are expensive and noisy, and need a reliable supply of fuel which also cannot be guaranteed in remote areas. Kerosene absorption refrigerators can be used, but also require a reliable supply of fuel. A better solution, recommended by the World Health Organisation, is to use photovoltaic (PV) modules to generate electricity from sunlight, in order to run vaccine refrigerators.

KXN provides a vaccine refrigeration system made by integrating component units from several sources. A special refrigerator / freezer stores up to 72,000 doses of polio vaccine. This has very high levels of insulation, so it needs little electricity to keep the contents cool. Photovoltaic modules are used to supply power, with lead-acid batteries for electricity storage, enabling continuous operation night and day.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• KXN
• Nigeria
• solar
• PV
• panel
• electric
• electricity
• power
• vaccine
• fridge
• refrigerator
• ashden
• awards
• sustainable
• renewable
• energy
• vaccination

[gmxonline]

Fantastic work!

[tech4156]

yes but the governments should be promoting this and providing a solar farm with all their billions.

[21wf]

Solar can be used for anything. The upfront cost is high, but it's coming down.

[1Mumiaabujamal]

Awesome! I never knew solar energy could be used for so much.