Pacific shores, solar solutions: Harnessing renewable energy in the Pacific Islands

A decade ago, Tokelau, a group of three atolls in the South Pacific, was hailed as the world’s first territory to be powered by solar energy. The islands of Fakaofo, Nukunonu and Atafu, once dependent on diesel to generate electricity, installed solar grids to provide cheap electricity for their villages. Today, despite a rise in electricity demand and battery shortages, solar still supplies 75 percent of the total power on the three atolls and diesel imports have been reduced by 80 percent. 

I visited Tokelau on several occasions as part of my work with UNDP. It takes 24 hours to reach the first island with a single boat that operates fortnightly. The motu – islets that together form an atoll – are so small that from the second floor of a home, one can see water surrounding land on both sides in a vast array of colours.

There, at the heart of a world that seems self-contained with its vibrant and distinct culture – faka-Tokelau – it becomes apparent why residents of small Pacific islands are seeking energy self-reliance to sustain their needs. In this pursuit, many are turning to solar energy.

Solar power strengthens energy independence 

As I am writing this blog, the global cost-of-living crisis is having deep repercussions on the Pacific Islands. The average inflation rate in the region reached 7.1 percent in 2022, surging as high as 12.4 percent in Palau. Pacific economies rely heavily on importing oil, which still provides up to 80 percent of the region’s total energy and like all fossil fuels, is subject to price volatility. 

Conversely, the cost of producing photovoltaic panels has fallen by 93 percent in the last decade and solar now provides the cheapest source of electricity in history. Moreover, once the panels are installed, the energy generated remains unaffected by fluctuations in oil prices, keeping prices stable. 

The low cost of solar panels presents an opportunity for investing in solar energy across the Pacific Islands, giving governments in the region a way to curb inflation and promote energy independence.

Solar panels enhance energy access in remote islands

Connecting remote communities to a centralized power grid could be challenging and costly. In an archipelago like the Solomon Islands, which comprises 147 inhabited islands, approximately 24 percent of the population, or 190,000 people, continue to lack access to electricity.

To address this injustice, secluded villages can benefit greatly from off-grid solar energy systems paired with batteries, enabling them to generate and store decentralized energy. In the Solomon Islands, the consumption of electricity per capita is so low – approximately 160 times less than the average used in the top ten countries – that just a few solar panels for a household can be life-changing. Because of the low energy consumption on the islands, the issues of intermittency and limited battery storage that have proven to be challenges for the green energy transition in high-income countries are less of a shortcoming in the Pacific.  

Why then are we not seeing more photovoltaics in the Pacific? Setting aside the financing aspect, one challenge lies in the installation of solar equipment in remote places and its subsequent maintenance. Not only does setting up panels on a distant island require careful planning but dealing with their repairs or replacements down the road can become a difficult logistical problem. This underscores the importance of strengthening the whole solar production value chain. This means assisting communities in the Pacific to develop robust operations and maintenance skills and protocols including regular cleaning and monitoring of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Importantly, continually developing local capacity is vital as people move around and as technology evolves.