Sun lovers: Barwon Health chief David Ashbridge, Fresenius Health Care managing director Margot Hurwitz and Professor John Agar launch the new solar dialysis centre. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 55525
Andrew Mathieson
KIDNEY patients will have extra reason to hope for sunshine after Barwon Health opened the “world’s first” solar-powered dialysis centre in Geelong this week.
Barwon Health unveiled the facility at Ryrie Street’s Rotary House, saying it would offset the power consumption of dialysis treatment with “renewable and clean energy”.
Barwon Health initiated the solar system after starting recycling procedures to cut down on the treatment’s use of water.
Each dialysis treatment used up to six kilowatts of electricity and 400 litres of water while generating five litres of “infections waste”, the health service said.
Renal services director Professor John Agar called dialysis the “most water and power hungry of any individual medical therapy”.
“With cheap and simple recycling practices we now save and reuse the majority of water required by the dialysis process, while our solar program will generate an ongoing grid-reimbursement income for the dialysis service,” Prof Agar said.
He believed project collaborator Fresenius Medical Care could take the system international.
“The ramifications of this are huge. If our project proves successful – and so far it has – then Fresenius intends to roll out solar power for dialysis units around Australia and even the world modeled on our system.”
Dialysis patients will have no reason to fear cloudy days, with a Barwon Health spokesperson pointing out the centre would run on back-up power during periods of low sunshine.
