Dr. John Duffy
Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts

"Developing and Building a Solar Refrigeration Unit for use in Remote Areas of the Peruvian Andes"

(Category: Conservation of General Resources)

Many villages in the Peruvian Andes are without electricity or means of communication, and are in need of sustainable, clean energy systems to provide the medical clinics in these communities with lighting, refrigeration, and radio communication. Through this project, Dr. Duffy expects to gather data on the performance of stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) panels in the field. (PV panels are a collection of interconnected solar cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity.) Several panels have already been installed and local people have been trained to maintain the systems. Dr. Duffy hopes to expand the number of communities benefiting from the installation, to continue upgrading and maintaining current installations, and to provide ongoing training for local people in solar engineering through teachers and schools. Particular emphasis is being placed on developing and testing more efficient and less expensive solar-powered vaccine refrigerators with thermoelectric modules. Local people will benefit by having access to health care at a clinic with electricity, which can provide refrigeration for pharmaceuticals; lighting for better examinations; and radio communication to a hospital in a larger community if critical or urgent care is necessary. Solar power will help preserve the rich culture of the indigenous people by stemming the tide of migration to metropolitan areas.