Design and Modelling of a Solar Gel Energy System for Sustainable Power in Rural Health Facilities and Teaching Hospitals

Abstract

Energy poverty remains a critical barrier to effective healthcare delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where frequent grid outages force rural facilities to rely on polluting and expensive diesel generators. This paper presents the design and modelling of a novel Solar Gel Energy System tailored for rural health facilities and teaching hospitals. The proposed system integrates a Solar Gel Pond (SGP) for thermal energy storage with a hydrogel-cooled photovoltaic (PV) array for electricity generation. Unlike conventional salt-gradient solar ponds, the SGP utilizes a transparent polymer gel layer (98% water, 2% polymer) to suppress convective heat loss without the maintenance burdens of salt management or evaporation. Concurrently, the hydrogel layer applied to PV panels provides passive evaporative cooling. Numerical simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB/Simulink demonstrate that the SGP achieves stable storage temperatures of 56–64°C, sufficient for sterilization and water heating, while the hydrogel cooling reduces panel operating temperatures by 14.1°C, boosting PV efficiency by 12.9%. The integrated system achieves an electrical Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP) of 1.8% and a thermal LPSP of 4.2%. Economic analysis indicates a payback period of 6.5–8.5 years and an 89% reduction in carbon emissions, validating the system as a sustainable, low-maintenance solution for energy-poor healthcare infrastructure.