Powering and fueling societies by harvesting solar, wind and other
clean, renewable energy resources makes good sense anywhere, anytime –
especially now that technical performance has improved and costs have
dropped so dramatically. Nowhere is this more true than it is for small island nations where energy costs are high and human populations, not to mention ecosystems and natural resources, fragile and threatened.
Releasing its Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) reports for three
South Pacific island nations – Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu –
IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), concludes that tapping
into solar, wind, geothermal, marine, biomass and biofuel energy would
not only meet electricity needs, it would reduce energy costs, create
gainful employment, broaden energy access, and set these and other island nations firmly on the path towards sustainable energy self-sufficiency.
Though very different in terms of geography and geology, the three
small island nations are blessed with an abundance of renewable energy
resources but have only recently launched efforts to harness them for
power.
Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu
An archipelago of volcanic islands that stretches across 1,750 km
(1.075 mi.) of South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu has an abundance of
renewable resources including solar, geothermal, wind, biomass and
biofuels, IRENA's RRA highlighted. Despite all the benefits renewable energy offers, heavy reliance on
fossil fuels for electricity remains the rule on Vanuatu and among small
island nations the world over, however, imposing high costs on residents
– not only financially, but also in terms of environmental pollution,
ecosystems and natural resource degradation, IRENA Director-General
Adnan Z. Amin pointed out.
"The development of local renewable resources in these island nations
would decrease their dependency on fuel imports and reduce risks
associated with oil-price volatility. The falling costs of renewable
energy offers them an opportunity to rethink their energy strategies,
develop policies and build institutions that would create jobs, bring
power to those currently without and deliver more reliable electricity
services, all while combatting climate change.”
Government leaders and residents across all three South Pacific
island nations are starting to take note. Vanuatu's government, for
instance, is in the midst of following through on a National Energy
Roadmap that calls for renewable energy to supply 63 percent of the
island nation's electricity needs by 2030. Today, renewables provide 43
percent of Vanuatu's electricity.
The RRA for Vanuatu identifies ways residents can accelerate
attainment of the island nation's renewable energy goals. Development of
off-grid renewables, for example, can deliver modern energy services to
the 83 percent of rural residents that don't have ready, reliable
access to electricity, the report authors contend.
Socioeconomic Benefits of Renewables
In contrast to Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands is a collection of more
than 1,225 South Pacific coral atolls and reef systems. When it comes to
renewable energy resources, the Marshallese are as fortunate as the
residents of Vanuatu, however. Rich in solar and wind energy potential, residents were subject to a
sharp spike in electricity and fuel costs back in 2008. The much higher
cost and volatility of imported fossil fuels led the government to enact
a National Energy Policy and Energy Action Plan, both of which revolve
around boosting renewable energy deployment.
Thousands of home solar PV systems have been installed on outer
islands since. Developing as-yet undeveloped wind energy potential,
planning for off-grid renewable energy systems installations and
enhancing coordination among institutions are keys for Marshall Islands
residents going forward, according to IRENA's RRA.
As rich as any nation in cultural, geographic and ecosystems
diversity, Fijians also rely heavily on fossil fuels to generate
electricity and just like in Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands, Fijians
are now turning to distributed local renewable energy. Fiji's leaders
believe a mix of small-scale hydropower, biomass, solar, geothermal and
wind energy can meet 100 percent of the island nation's energy needs.
SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) President Rhone Resch
agreed that renewable energy yields broad-based socioeconomic benefits
for small island nations: “In study after study, solar is shown to save
consumers money and provide important benefits to the environment and
society as a whole.
“Here in the United States, the tremendous growth of solar energy has
translated into the reduction of more than 23 million metric tons of
harmful carbon emissions a year and the creation of tens of thousands of
new jobs. In 2004, there were less than 20,000 people at work in the
U.S. solar industry. Through 2014, that number had soared to 174,000 –
with new jobs being added every day.”
“Renewable energy is no longer just the best choice socially and
environmentally, it is also the best choice economically for many
countries in many parts of the world,” IRENA's Amin stated. “It has
never been cheaper for small island states to reduce electricity costs,
increase energy independence and improve energy access through the
deployment of renewable energy.”
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/07/three-island-nations-are-ready-for-renewable-energy.html