Thanks to copious hours of sunshine beating down over Nadi, Port Denarau Marina is now having all of its daily power requirements met by the Sun!
The 122kW photovoltaic (PV) system has a generating capacity of 190,000 kWh per year providing Port Denarau with the largest solar powered marina system anywhere in the world; a great step for Fiji as its largest on-grid commercial solar power generator.
Port Denarau Marina Solar Photo: Sunergise
According to the Attorney-General and Minister for Tourism, Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji spends approximately one billion dollars a year importing fossil fuels into Fiji, which is a huge drain on our foreign reserves. “We need to move to efficient and cleaner energy” he stated, “This will have a huge impact on our ability to carry out business and impact on the everyday lives of ordinary Fijians.”
The Denarau Marina rooftop installation is the work of Sunergise, a new Pacific-wide renewable energy company. Sunergise Director, Ajay Raniga, said: “Our mission is to use a commercial model to bring clean energy to the people of Fiji and other Pacific Island Nations.”
Sunergise worked with a team of international and local experts to roll out the installations, deploying world-class panels, inverters and remote monitoring technology.
Of the installation back in December, Ajay Raniga said “Cyclone Evan only set us back a couple of days and we are delighted to bring clean energy to the people of Fiji. It is one of a number of projects we have planned for the region and we encourage more people to do their part for the environment by embracing solar as a clean and economical energy source.”
Rooftop Panels Photo: Sunergise
Port Denarau Managing Director, Mr Nigel Skeggs, said that they recognized the importance of protecting the marine and natural environment in a way that makes good business sense, “The Sunergise proposal offered us the opportunity to do exactly that,” he said, “We are committed setting an example through the protection of both the marine and natural environment by promoting international best practice and reducing our carbon footprint. This is especially important in Fiji where a considerable amount of our power generation is reliant on the burning of fossil fuels.”
The Port Denarau Marina rooftop solar system provides clean, green sustainable power for a community at the front line of climate change.
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