Step 1. Prepare
Before the technicians can install the panels, frames for each need to be created to hold them in place wherever they are mounted. Solar panels often cannot be mounted on thatch roofs, which a lot of clinics have, so the panels are mounted on metal poles next to the clinic. This preparation process includes:

• Cut, weld, and paint the frames

• Cut metal posts for mounting panels if the clinic’s roof isn’t adequate

• Build wooden boxes for the batteries, which keep them safe and secure

Step 2. Transport
Sometimes this is a simple road trip, other times, it is much more complex! In this photo, technicans walk up a stream with their equipment to the Nugaza clinic. The technicians are carrying solar panels, batteries, cables, connectors, charge controllers, inverters, battery boxes, frames, posts, cement, and tools.

Step 3. Mount
The panels are mounted on the roof if the roof is stable, otherwise they are mounted on a metal pole next to the clinic and secured in the ground with cement. Entire communities help raise the panel!

Step 4. Install
Next, the technicians run the cables from the solar panel to the equipment inside the clinic. The battery box is below the inverter, which is used to keep the batteries safe and secure from potential damage. 

Step 5. Turn it on!
The final step in the installation process is to make sure everything is connected and ready to go. And now for the big moment: turn on the lights! Gaspy shows off the new light and is very proud of his team.