Starsight powers hospital in Ekiti State to reduce Covid-19 testing time

Starsight, the leading Nigerian commercial and industrial solar power provider in Africa, announced today that it has successfully powered a hospital in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The new solar power system will allow the hospital to provide more rapid Covid-19 testing.

The hospital, located in Ikole in Ekiti State, currently receives less than 8 hours of grid electricity per month. It was chosen by the Ekiti State government for the Starsight intervention as it provides specialist secondary healthcare to residents of the North Senatorial district of the state. With the new Starsight solar power solution, the hospital will have a reliable power supply which will help reduce testing times for possible Covid-19 patients. Starsight funded and implemented all stages of the process from the technical assessment of the hospital’s energy requirements to installing the equipment.

The company received critical support from the Ekiti State government for the project which was completed in only five days.

Starsight’s solar power systems are designed and engineered by Starsight’s in-house engineering team in Lagos to work across all regions of Nigeria. The company has installed approximately 27MW of generation assets and 20MW of storage at 362 sites in all Nigerian states and has a proven operational track record in remote locations.

Offgrid solar systems represent a dependable and stable source of clean energy making them well-adapted to healthcare facilities They are therefore able to improve the quality of care for patients by ensuring that vaccines and medicines are maintained at the right temperature, modern equipment can be efficiently operated and medical operations can proceed without disruption.

Mr. Tony Carr, Starsight’s Chief Executive Officer said, “As we see coronavirus arrive and spread in Nigeria, we feel strongly that it is right that we contribute our offgrid expertise and products to help with the intense demands being placed on the country’s healthcare system. Starsight is mindful of its social responsibilities and has always been ready and able to respond swiftly in crisis situations. Throughout this public health emergency, our core company values of customer service and support to the community are more important than ever. A number of people have come together to bring this project to completion very swiftly. I would in particular like to acknowledge the great support received from the Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his representative Akintunde Oyebode and from Dr Wiebe Boer, CEO of All On.”

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State, said, “We were delighted to work with Starsight on this important project. We were especially impressed by their speed and sense of urgency in completing the work – they were second to none. It serves as a powerful example of the good that can be accomplished when the public and private sectors work together”

Following this inaugural project, Starsight looks to further expand into healthcare by providing renewable energy to hospitals and clinics. Out of its significant stock of equipment, the company has earmarked over 1MW for the sector and the fight against Covid-19.

Starsight is backed by Helios Investment Partners and Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers.