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A hospital in Bonne Fin, Haiti has retired its less-than-reliable old diesel generators after receiving a donation of high-performance solar panels totaling 50 kilowatts.

SolarWorld provided the panels to Hospital Lumiere, a nonprofit medical facility that is run by a group called Apostolic Christian HarvestCall.

Located in an area that lacks electric utility services, the 120-bed primary care and medical-surgical hospital for years was forced to use diesel generators. In addition to being expensive, the generators often broke down or failed, placing the well-being of patients in jeopardy.

The new solar and battery installation is expected to provide all of the hospital’s energy needs to serve a population of approximately 60,000 people.

Hospital Lumiere is the fifth hospital in Haiti to receive solar panels through the Solar2World program, a SolarWorld effort that provides panels for community-focused electrification projects in developing countries.

The solar panel system for Hospital Lumiere was designed and built by volunteers associated with Smucker’s Energy, which is based in Lancaster, Pa. Civic Solar, a solar equipment and services distribution company, provided engineering support as well as reduced-cost components for the project.