Student team Solar Team Eindhoven from TU Eindhoven has successfully
completed the first practical tests of the solar ambulance Stella Juva in Kenya. The
ambulance generates more solar energy than it consumes during medical use. This
demonstrates that Stella Juva can operate independently without relying on an
electricity grid or fuel. To test the delivery of healthcare powered by the sun, the
student team drove to several remote field locations in Kenya.
Stella Juva was developed by 23 students with the aim of making medical care
accessible to people in remote areas where reliable infrastructure, electricity, and
fuel are lacking. In doing so, Solar Team Eindhoven wants to accelerate the
transition to a more sustainable future, while also making a social impact. For its
development, the team collaborated with the international health organisation Amref
Health Africa.
Unlike a traditional ambulance, Stella Juva brings healthcare directly to people. The
solar ambulance generates energy using solar panels on the roof, and while
stationary via the use of extendable panels on the sides of the vehicle. This energy
proves to be sufficient to drive and to power medical equipment.
Challenging terrain
The team tested Stella Juva at various field locations in Kenya, around the Narok
region. The solar ambulance is approved for use on public roads, meaning that it
could be deployed on both paved and unpaved roads, which covers the conditions in
which the vehicle could ultimately be used. At one point, the team spent six hours
travelling on challenging roads to reach a remote field location in Mosiro.
In total, the team covered more than 800 kilometers. Aside from a broken steering
rod, which was replaced within half an hour, the vehicle hardly ran into any problems
on the challenging route. This demonstrated that the solar ambulance is reliable and
performs well under challenging conditions.
Medical care powered by the sun
Stella Juva is equipped with medical equipment that is urgently needed by health
organisations in remote locations, such as an X-ray machine, ultrasound, Automated
External Defibrillator (AED), and cooling equipment for vaccines. During a two-day
test together with Amref Health Africa, the solar ambulance proved that it could have
provided medical care to approximately 200 people. While stationary, Stella Juva
generated more solar energy than it consumed whilst using all the medical
equipment simultaneously. This showed that the solar ambulance can operate in an
energy independent manner, allowing healthcare workers to keep using medical
equipment at all times.
"It is really great for the team to see the potential of Stella Juva in practice," says
team manager Mathijs van Gerven. "Not only to drive sustainably, but also to be able
to provide fully independent care. Especially in remote areas where energy is often
scarce, this can make all the difference."
During the field test, health workers from health facilities that Amref Health Africa
works with tested the medical equipment in Stella Juva. “Now that we have seen
what Stella Juva can do in practice, we see enormous potential for remote
communities. This could truly be a gamechanger,” says Geoffrey Sadera, project
lead maternal and child health at Amref Health Africa. “In Narok, long distances and
unreliable electricity still make quality healthcare difficult to access. Stella Juva can
bring not only health workers to remote communities, but also the power and medical
equipment needed to examine and diagnose people on the spot. For example,
during a single outreach, 30 to 40 pregnant women could receive an ultrasound in
their own community. And Narok is not alone: one third of Kenya’s counties face
similar challenges and high levels of maternal and child mortality. If we could deploy
Stella Juva in these areas, the potential impact could be enormous: we could identify
risks earlier, intervene sooner, and ultimately save lives.”
A first step towards impact
With the successful test, Solar Team Eindhoven takes an important first step towards
the future of sustainable healthcare. The team hopes the results will inspire
companies, social organisations and governments to tackle societal challenges with
innovative solutions.
"As students, we have shown what is possible when technology and social impact
come together," says Van Gerven. "With Stella Juva, we would like to encourage
others to think further about sustainable healthcare. We are open to parties who
want to explore together how this innovation could be taken forward and make an
impact on a larger scale. We hope Stella Juva is not the end point, but rather the
beginning of something much bigger."
