Mobile Clinic: Clemson Solar Powered Mobile Clinic
Mobile Clinic: Solar Powered Mobile Clinic for Clemson University by Odulair. Odulair was commissioned by Clemson University’s Sullivan Clinic to develop and unveil the world’s first 100% solar-powered mobile medical clinic. This project utilized Odulair’s extensive background in innovative clinic design and manufacture in order to develop a product which could comprehensively satisfy the functional demands of the Sullivan Center’s outreach program. The resulting mobile clinic was momentous because it reduced the clinic’s overall environmental impact and improved operating conditions for both medical providers and patients. The clinic currently operates in a variety of settings and with a wide range of purposes. It is sized at 23 feet by 16 feet when fully expanded, is equipped with eight solar panels, utilizes energy-efficient medical technology, and incorporates a battery system that completely eliminates the need for a generator. Now, more than a year since its unveiling, the Sullivan Center has experienced great success with the solar-powered mobile clinic and is excited about the future of this program.
Dr. Paula Watt has directed the Sullivan Center since 1996 and leads efforts to reach underserved populations across South Carolina. The Sullivan Center mobile clinic travels regularly to Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson counties, and reaches communities often overlooked by the traditional medical field. The clinic receives support from the State of South Carolina, which perceives a great deal of value in the way this clinic supports its underserved communities. Specifically, Senator Thomas Alexander (R) championed this effort and said he hopes the Sullivan Center will become the model for other organizations who wish to pursue the evolution of health care through the empowerment of an individual in their own health. With this influence and through Dr. Watt’s leadership, the program emphasizes the importance of preventative care and provides an extensive variety of services pertaining to health education and clinical treatment. This set of services creates the need for a highly versatile and durable clinical vehicle. The Odulair solar-powered mobile clinic features a set of distinct customized features that not only address the specific treatment needs of the Sullivan Center program but raise the overall industry standard for quality and functional capacity.
Another notable benefit the Sullivan Center’s Odulair mobile clinic experiences with its solar energy system pertains to the opportunities created by the freedom to operate without dependence on a limited power source. While generators can be easily transported, they are still dependent on a substantial quantity of fuel. Additionally, Clemson graduate and Sullivan Center Health Extension Agent, Logan McFall, explained that there have been situations in which clinic generators were not allowed to operate in urban settings, due to local policy limiting noise and air pollution. Solar, however, can operate in almost any setting and is even effective on cloudy days. This capability allows Clemson’s clinic to operate confidently in rural settings lacking easy access to power and fuel, and in urban settings constricted by space and local policy. Additionally, the Clemson clinic can remain active in natural disasters, when other medical providers are hindered by insufficient energy resources.
Dr. Paula Watt has directed the Sullivan Center since 1996 and leads efforts to reach underserved populations across South Carolina. The Sullivan Center mobile clinic travels regularly to Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson counties, and reaches communities often overlooked by the traditional medical field. The clinic receives support from the State of South Carolina, which perceives a great deal of value in the way this clinic supports its underserved communities. Specifically, Senator Thomas Alexander (R) championed this effort and said he hopes the Sullivan Center will become the model for other organizations who wish to pursue the evolution of health care through the empowerment of an individual in their own health. With this influence and through Dr. Watt’s leadership, the program emphasizes the importance of preventative care and provides an extensive variety of services pertaining to health education and clinical treatment. This set of services creates the need for a highly versatile and durable clinical vehicle. The Odulair solar-powered mobile clinic features a set of distinct customized features that not only address the specific treatment needs of the Sullivan Center program but raise the overall industry standard for quality and functional capacity.
Solar Power Benefits for your Mobile Clinic
The implementation of solar energy as the sole power source for a mobile medical clinic has numerous benefits of remarkable significance. Aside from the unmistakable environmental benefit of utilizing a renewable energy source, Dr. Paula Watt expressed that the solar panel system installed in the Sullivan Center clinic also offers practical advantages that relate directly to the medical services provided. These advantages include the elimination of noise, toxic fumes, generator maintenance costs, and the challenges associated with obtaining power in settings limited by environmental or policy-related restrictions.Noise-Free
No noise means no noise. One of the greatest benefits Dr. Watt’s clinic has enjoyed by eliminating the generator in favor of a solar-powered system is the subsequent elimination of the noise produced by the generator. Dr. Watt explained a variety of problems associated with generator noise and why it is so beneficial to implement a solar energy system. Most fundamentally, the noise produced by a generator is problematic because it is loud and can promote a sense of agitation in those working and those visiting the clinic. This is even more detrimental in a setting where patients may already be nervous about receiving medical treatment. Further, the constant presence of a loud motor makes it difficult for healthcare providers to operate efficiently and accurately. Even basic medical services, such as the evaluation of vital signs, can be greatly disrupted by the noise and vibrations of a generator. Obstructive noise can also hinder the critical communication that takes place between medical providers and patients at the clinics. This is especially evident in communities where language barriers exist. Dr. Watt described a recent experience in which the solar-powered Sullivan Clinic vehicle was parked in close proximity to a generator operated vehicle. The noise from the neighboring clinic was loud enough to cause disruption in Dr. Watt’s clinic as well, and her students and staff were reminded just how beneficial it is to operate in the absence of a generator.Air Pollution
Solar energy is also the preferred choice for the Sullivan Center’s Odulair mobile clinic because it eliminates localized air pollution. Even the most efficient generator produces toxic fumes containing elements such as carbon monoxide and smog-forming pollutants. These gases linger and accumulate in the air when a generator is run for hours at a time, and can negatively impact the health of those inhaling the air. According to Dr. Watt, it is typical to require a constant source of power while operating a clinic, therefore clinics functioning on generators must run the engine for the duration of clinic activity. This can last approximately eight hours per day, in a single location, depending on the type of clinic and location of service. Such pollution is problematic for regional environmental impact and has immediate implications for those receiving treatments. Dr. Watt explained that the existence of toxic air in a treatment setting contradicts the Sullivan Center’s efforts to promote well-being in their community outreach. By utilizing solar energy to run their clinics, the Sullivan Center has created a safer, healthier treatment environment for its patients.Maintenance Cost
The cost of maintenance is an additional factor the Sullivan Center took into serious consideration when comparing the relative benefits of solar-powered energy and generator based energy. Generators require a significant amount of regular maintenance in order to ensure efficient operation and to preserve the engine for the duration of the expected lifetime. Typical maintenance may include part replacement, cleaning, fluid service, and a variety of additional efforts. However, as experienced by the Sullivan Center’s Odulair mobile clinic in a scenario with a previous clinic setup, maintenance and repairs can extend beyond these basic requirements in cases of more complex generator complications. Since the implementation of the solar-powered clinic, however, the Clemson mobile clinic has essentially eliminated maintenance costs altogether. The only maintenance associated with solar energy involves regular cleaning of the panel surface for optimal sun absorption. This distinction saves money in the form of materials and professional services. Furthermore, this feature saves time, efforts, and resources which should be devoted directly to patient care. Such benefits are particularly compelling when comparing overall monetary costs of the two power options, and indicate that the long term savings associated with solar power offset the initial investment in more ways than one. |
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