Lighting up remote Fijian school communities with sustainable solar energy systems
School children in remote Fijian communities are expected to benefit from more reliable, renewable energy in their classrooms, thanks to the latest Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership announced this week.
The Australian Government is teaming up with Its Time Foundation to invest A$278,000 in the design and development of an effective model of monitoring and maintenance for solar energy systems installed by Its Time Foundation within remote Fijian school communities. This includes A$210,000 by the Australian Government with the remaining investment by Its Time Foundation through cash or in-kind contributions.
The two-year partnership will kick off with a solar installation at Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island, as a model of high-quality design, installation and remote monitoring that will minimise demand for future maintenance. An independent maintenance funding model will be developed to ensure future resources are available to meet ongoing maintenance needs, aiming to be scalable for other school communities in Fiji and other remote Pacific communities.
The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP initiative to expand AIFFP’s climate investments by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP).
This is the third Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership to be announced, and the first for Fiji, with two earlier ones launched in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. We are looking forward to announcing more partnerships soon!
