Mothers in Beqa will no longer have to travel to the mainland in the evening or wait until the following day for vaccination services, after the installation of solar power and battery storage at a nursing station on the island.
International Solar Alliance Director General Ashish Khanna highlighted this during his official visit to Fiji after visiting the nursing station in Beqa.
Khanna says the nursing station is equipped with an 8-kilowatt rooftop solar system and a 5-kilowatt battery system, enabling vaccines to be stored on-site and ensuring power is available during emergencies at night.
He says the Beqa nursing station is one of nine similar health centres financed by ISA that have been provided with solar rooftop systems and batteries.
Insert: Khanna on ISA 12th Aug
He says ISA has also financed two cold storage systems, which he says could prevent around 30 to 40 percent of food from being wasted.
Khanna says these are pilot projects and ISA wants similar systems to be implemented across Fiji under its Country Partnership Framework with the country.
He says the aim is to have solar rooftop and battery systems installed at nursing stations across Fiji, with cold storage systems also to be taken up.
Khanna says ISA wants to work with the Government, donors, Energy Fiji Limited, institudes and other stakeholders to create a shared platform for expanding solar energy in Fiji.
Khanna says ISA wants to establish a shared platform to help Fiji reduce its high electricity costs and dependence on diesel through greater use of solar power and energy storage.
He says Fiji's electricity tariff is around 40 cents, while the country has a 40 to 50 percent dependence on diesel.
Khanna says the newly inaugurated STAR-C Centre at Fiji National University will serve as the nucleus for building local capability.
Khanna says the Star-Centre will help build the capacity of engineers and technicians, while creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and partnerships with industry, donors and others.
Khanna says EFL staff, Ministry of Energy and Public Works representatives and financial institutions will be trained as part of the initiative.
He says ISA will develop a national solar energy roadmap that will prioritise rooftop solar systems adding this will also focus on developing mini-grids for Fiji's islands and supporting EFL to undertake more solar projects.
He says financing is another important area, with ISA looking to work with the Government and financial institutions to develop suitable financing facilities.
Khanna identifies mindset, the lack of an ecosystem and collaboration as some of the biggest challenges facing Fiji in accelerating solar development.
He says stakeholders need to be convinced that solar is the future of energy, noting that two-thirds of all new power generation across the world is solar.
Khanna says ISA will help build the ecosystem by supporting financing, business models and skills development, while also promoting greater collaboration within Fiji and across the Pacific.
Khanna says the Beqa project has reinforced the need to accelerate solar electrification of nursing stations, adding that the technology is already available and Fiji needs to accelerate the pace of solar installations.
Meanwhile, Fiji National University Assistant Instructor in Electrical Aklesh Nand, who will travel to India to study after receiving an ISA scholarship says the opportunity will allow him to deepen his knowledge, skills and practical experience in solar energy and learn how to manage solar systems.
Nand, who holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of the South Pacific, says his main objective is to gain practical skills in solar installation and management and bring that knowledge back to Fiji.
He says he plans to share what he learns with his students, trainers in the solar industry, and communities in rural areas where solar energy can help improve people's lives.
Nand says the scholarship will allow him to contribute to building Fiji's capacity in solar energy.
He has also expressed his gratitude to the International Solar Alliance for the opportunity and FNU for selecting him for the scholarship programme.
