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Direct Relief Announces Completion of 25th U.S. Resilient Power Project

Winters Healthcare, located in Yolo County, California, is the latest U.S. health facility to strengthen its energy resilience through Direct Relief’s Power for Health Initiative.

News

Resilient Power

Direct Relief and Winters Healthcare staff tour the roof of the health facility where a resilient power system was installed through Direct Relief's Power for Health Initiative. (Photo by Mark Semegen for Direct Relief)
By Brea Burkholz

Winters Healthcare, a federally qualified health center, has installed a new solar-and-battery microgrid system that will help keep care available during power outages while reducing costs and cutting harmful emissions.

The new resilient power system at Winters was funded entirely through a $534,938 grant from Direct Relief, which covered design, installation, and five years of operations and maintenance. The project was developed by American Microgrid Solutions and installed by GRID Alternatives.

For the more than 4,500 patients who rely on this facility each year — many of them agricultural workers — losing power can mean losing access to medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.

“Direct Relief’s support for this solar and battery system is truly transformative for our center and the community we serve,” said Christopher Kelsch, Executive Director of Winters Healthcare. “The system now ensures our team can continue delivering reliable medical and dental care, safeguard vaccines and essential records, and stay fully operational during power outages — all while lowering costs through clean, sustainable energy. We are deeply grateful for this investment in our community’s health and resilience.”

Chris Kelsch, Winters’ Executive Director, shows a cold storage area for temperature-sensitive medications. The health center has a resilient power system that will provide consistent power during outages, protecting medications from spoilage. (Photo by Mark Semegen for Direct Relief)

The custom-built hybrid system includes a 57-kilowatt solar array paired with a 220-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a 200-kilowatt generator. It provides clean, reliable power for the health center’s day-to-day use and will serve as an emergency backup system during commercial power outages. In the event of an emergency, the system has the capacity to serve the health center’s critical power needs for more than 17 continuous hours.

The system will also reduce Winters Healthcare’s energy costs. Because the system is expected to offset nearly half of the building’s annual electricity use, Winters Healthcare is projected to save about $40,000 a year. The microgrid’s on-site solar power will avoid about 62 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to preserving 75 acres of forest.

Winters Healthcare provides essential health services to the community in Yolo County, located in Northern California. (Direct Relief photo)

“Vital healthcare providers like Winters Healthcare, which serve as true cornerstones of their communities, need reliable energy 365 days a year to power patient care,” said Sara Rossi, Managing Director of Health Resiliency at Direct Relief. “This project is a major step forward for the Power for Health Initiative’s mission to equip California’s community health centers with the energy resilience and cost savings they’ll need to face the challenges of the future.”

Winters Healthcare’s role goes beyond patient care. Recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home and part of Yolo County’s Emergency Response Plan, the center can serve as a triage site, shelter, or emergency care provider in times of crisis. It also offers programs like nutrition and exercise education, a community garden, and cultural events.

The new microgrid is part of Direct Relief’s Power for Health Initiative, which has provided grants that power the adoption of clean backup power solutions to 21 safety-net healthcare facilities across California, as well as dozens of sites across the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, and thousands globally.

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