3 Pacific Island Nations Deploy Aquaculture and Agriculture Microgrids
Three island nations dotting the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines have launched solar and energy storage microgrids.
The modular renewable energy microgrid systems, which include a total of 495 kW peak (kWp) of solar and 1,997 kWh of battery energy storage, were deployed on Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.
Palau is an archipelago of more than 500 islands, while Tuvalu is comprised of nine sparsely populated atolls and reef islands. The Marshall Islands, the most populated of the trio, includes five main islands and 29 coral atolls.
Microgrid provide reliable electricity for island-based communities
Islands are ideal candidates for microgrid solutions because they can be self-sufficient energy resources that don’t require a grid connection. Creating and maintaining a central power grid across multiple islands is both challenging and expensive.
Hawaii, for example, has one of the highest electricity rates in the U.S. and has actively developed microgrids in recent years to both reduce energy costs and improve reliability. Last year, the Polynesian island of Tonga commissioned an off-grid microgrid to provide island residents with reliable, clean and affordable power.
Powering aquaculture and agriculture with green energy
The Palau, Tuvalu and Marshall Island microgrids will provide more than 50% of the power needed for demonstration farms and aquaculture centers on each island. Aquaculture, or seafood farming, involves breeding, raising and harvesting fish, shellfish and aquatic plants in either fresh or saltwater.
In addition to reducing each nation’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, the three clean energy microgrids are expected to lower energy costs and cut carbon emissions by 800 metric tons each year.
Billion Electric Group, a Taiwanese electronics and energy solutions company, delivered the systems, which include the company’s Fusio series battery energy storage system, solar photovoltaic inverters and an AI-driven energy management system (EMS).
"We develop flexible and scalable microgrid solutions for diverse applications, enabling the energy transition in off-grid and remote regions. By fostering local service teams and forming global partnerships, we ensure system reliability, accelerate green energy adoption, and enhance grid resilience," Tim Chen, president & CEO of Billion Electric Group, said in a statement.
The microgrid allows for real-time power optimization, bidirectional energy transmission and cloud-based monitoring.
Billion Electric Group is expanding into Japan and Australia and has plans to enter the Southeast Asian and Middle East markets.
