SHIELD Background
SHIELD (Solar Hospital Innovation for Energy Leasing Demonstrator) is a UK-based social enterprise committed to solarising hospitals across Africa. Our mission is to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to improve healthcare services and outcomes.
Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, a Level 5 facility in Kenya, installed a 228 kW solar PV system under the SHIELD project, saving around KSh 1 million (~$6 000) per month in electricity costs. Solarising the hospital ensures reliable power for critical services, reduces costs, minimises carbon emissions, and protects vaccine cold chains during blackouts—a lifeline for patients. The saved money has been redirected to pay for cancer drugs.
1
Project demonstrator
$72,000
Saved per year
100+ tons CO ₂
Saved anually
350 IRECs
Produced annually
Our Mission
Our Mission is to solarise every large hospital in Africa.
Africa’s public hospitals serve some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations. 60% of these hospitals have unreliable electricity, face frequent blackouts, and soaring energy costs, which compromises care. Power failures damage expensive medicines, delay surgeries, and interrupt life-saving equipment. Solar is a cheap and reliable energy source, but upfront installation costs remain a barrier, especially for credit-poor public hospitals.
There are approximately 600 large hospitals in Africa. They are generally more secure, better managed, and grid connected and they are always large consumers of energy. These larger facilities have huge catchment areas and are often the only places patients can find tertiary level care.
Our Vision
Our Vision is to help public hospitals access reliable, affordable and clean energy, saving lives, cutting emissions and unlocking financial savings through a blended finance model that includes the sale of digitally generated International Renewable Energy Certificates (IRECs). Solar power is not only more sustainable, but it is also more stable and of higher quality than most alternatives. Importantly, solar power is cheaper and this can free up much needed resources that can be redirected to frontline care.
Our History
Professor Jacob McKnight commonly visits Kenyan hospitals as part of his work with the University of Oxford. He was aware of the rising cost and low quality of grid electricity and so began to ask why Kenyan public hospitals did not use solar panels. He was introduced to Mr Ameet Shah of Astonfield Solar who explained that public hospitals are seen as credit risks and so despite rapid adoption of solar in Kenya’s private sector, government-run facilities could not access leasing arrangements or credit to benefit from this technology. Jacob and Ameet then worked together to build an application for the Energy Catalyst funding stream of the UK government’s Innovate platform. This funding allowed SHIELD to install a 228KWp solar system at Meru Hospital in Kenya, where we are actively producing digital International Renewable Energy Certificates using the unique C:Pesa system installed on site.
Our Team
A.Prof. Jacob McKnight
Associate Professor Jacob McKnight leads the SHIELD hospital solarisation project. Professor McKnight originally trained as an engineer and is passionate about ensuring adaptation and extreme weather preparedness in African hospitals. With extensive experience in African health systems, a history of entrepreneurship, and a deep commitment to improving healthcare quality, Jacob is well-positioned to lead the SHIELD team.
Professor McKnight has a history of startup experience in addition to his work in extreme weather preparedness as lead on the related NEWRISK project. His collaborative approach has positioned SHIELD as a pioneering model of renewable energy adoption in African healthcare, driving both improved patient outcomes and environmental sustainability.
Wanja Knighton
Ms Wanja Knighton plays a central role in the SHIELD hospital solarisation project, drawing on her entrepreneurial background in clean energy and deep-rooted business and political networks across Kenya. As a respected entrepreneur and business woman she leads engagement with health system stakeholders and county governments to identify, plan, and implement new solar installations in hospitals.
Wanja’s extensive experience working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and community development ensures that SHIELD’s solutions are locally accepted. Wanja’s strong relationships with county officials, hospital managers, and energy providers are key to building trust and securing the partnerships necessary for successful roll-out.
Dr. Amy Booth
Dr Amy Booth is a key contributor to the SHIELD hospital solarisation project, leveraging her pharmaceutical industry experience and global network to drive the sale of International Renewable Energy Certificates (IRECs). With a strong background in commercial strategy and market access, Dr Booth leads efforts to connect SHIELD’s environmental impact with organisations seeking credible sustainability offsets.
Her expertise ensures that the IRECs generated by hospital solar systems are effectively marketed and monetised, providing a vital revenue stream to support the project’s long-term success. Passionate about equitable healthcare and environmental stewardship, Dr Booth brings a unique combination of commercial acumen and social purpose to SHIELD. Her role is central to linking the healthcare sector’s clean energy gains with the global carbon market, helping to fund resilient, sustainable hospitals across Kenya and laying the groundwork for wider impact across the continent.
Miriam Atuya
Miriam Atuya will lead finance and social investment for the SHIELD hospital solarisation project. As a Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholar pursuing an MBA at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, she brings eight years of advisory and investment experience across East and West Africa in sectors including agriculture, renewable energy, and water and sanitation .
Previously at CrossBoundary’s Innovation Lab, she collaborated with policymakers and investors to strengthen minigrid business models. At SHIELD, Miriam structures blended finance, secures impact investors, and aligns social-investment frameworks to sustain hospital solarisation efforts. Her pan-African networks and strategic insight ensure robust funding and governance systems, making solar-powered healthcare reliably scalable and socially impactful across the continent.
Daniel Mwendwa
Daniel Mwendwa, a 2021 Rhodes Scholar from Kenya and current DPhil candidate in Electrical Engineering at the University of Oxford, serves as Chief Engineer for the SHIELD hospital solarisation project. With a BEng (Hons) in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh—where he won the Sir William Darling Memorial Prize—his technical credentials are firmly established.
At SHIELD, he leads system design, site assessments, and technician training to ensure bespoke, resilient solar solutions for healthcare facilities. His blend of engineering excellence, leadership, and community impact is instrumental in delivering reliable, sustainable energy to hospitals across Kenya.
Shield’s Partners & Collaborators
Oxford University
SHIELD was initially based at the University of Oxford and the SHIELD team have extensive networks within the university. The university’s public commitment to climate action, equitable health access, and sustainable infrastructure aligns perfectly with SHIELD’s mission.
Solar Energy Leaders
SHIELD benefits from strong partnerships with three key solar innovators who are each contributing to the sustainable energy transition in Africa. Astonfield is one of Kenya’s most respected and experienced solar providers. Sustainable Energy Botswana has a similar reputation in Southern Africa. Finally, the breakthrough C:Pesa technology allows SHIELD to generate traceable, value-added IRECs in each installation. Sales of these IRECS allow SHIELD to offer a completely unique financial solution.
countries
The next phase of the SHIELD project will see us install solutions in Kenya, South Africa and Botswana. We are also planning to launch in Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi.