Workshop: Harmonized Technical Guidelines for Photovoltaic Systems in the Pacific Islands

Nabua, Fiji

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Pacific Power Association (PPA) and the Sustainable Energy Industry Association of the Pacific Islands (SEIAPI), conducted a three-day workshop on “Harmonized Technical Guidelines for Photovoltaic (PV) Systems in the Pacific Islands”.

The workshop, held at the SPC’s Pasifika conference room in Nabua, Fiji, on 27-29 August, brought together over 40 participants from Fiji, American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu. They included representatives of electricity utilities, government departments, financing organisations, training institutions, development partners and private business.

The PPA and SEIAPI have jointly developed technical guidelines for solar PV systems, both grid-connected and off-grid. These provide simple, practical approaches and industry best practices for the design, installation, repair and maintenance of PV systems. Participants considered how to harmonise existing standards for PV with the guidelines.

Commander Francis Kean, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Works, Transport and Public Utilities, said he hoped the implementation of standards would also help “to ward off the infiltration of inferior equipment in our markets and also ensure that we continue to maintain a level of competitiveness”. Acknowledging the collaborative efforts of IRENA, SPC, PPA and SEIAPI, he encouraged all stakeholders to continue to the standardisation effort and learn from those who have gone through the exercise.   

Since 2008, the installation of grid-connected solar PV systems across the region has accelerated rapidly, creating an estimated 3 MW of installed capacity at present, which is expected to triple by 2015. Rising investments in solar, wind, hydro, biomass and other renewable technologies in the Pacific region are meant to reduce dependence on petroleum imports, which cost the region over USD 1 billion annually.

Tokelau is the first Pacific Island territory to achieve 100% renewable power generation, while the Cook Islands and Tuvalu aspire to reach the same goal soon. Other islands have set ambitious targets for integrating renewable energy, ranging from 20% to 90% by the medium to long term. But the integration of renewables raises technical challenges in regard to grid stability and standards.

The rapid growth also brings new players into the market through net-metering arrangements, Independent Power Producer (IPP) frameworks and public-private partnerships, all of which call for new thinking and methods. Few Pacific islands have standards in place to regulate the market, and existing guidelines tend to be project-specific and outdated. Workshop participants noted the widespread reliance on Australian and New Zealand standards.

Technical standards help to ensure quality, safety, financial viability, and ultimately affordability and customer satisfaction. While utilities are critical, governments, the private sector, training institutions and the development partners all have a role in the adoption and implementation of renewable energy standards. Workshop participants proposed the creation of a Pacific Standards Capacity and Networking Framework, along with training and certification schemes for industry technicians and policy makers. 

Agenda

Importance and benefits of adopting harmonized technical guidelines in the region for PV systems
Peter Konings, SEIAPI

Introduction on technical guidelines for utilities integrating PV into their grids
George Stapleton, SEIAPI

Training Modules:

Grid Connected PV Technical Guidelines

Off Grid PV Technical Guidelines

PV tiering

Group Session

Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4