For islands with multiple atolls or issues connecting to a grid, microgrids could help to power aquaculture and agriculture while consuming a minimum of space, noted a recent article in Microgrid Knowledge. The article said that Palau, Tuvalu and Marshall Island solar and energy storage microgrids will provide over half of the power needed for their aquaculture centers and demonstration farms.
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. The modular renewable energy microgrid systems, which include a total of 495 kilowatts peak (kWp) of solar and 1,997 kilowatt hours (kWh) of battery energy storage, were deployed on Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, the article said.
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.
The article noted that Hawaii had started combatting its high electricity prices with microgrids. And the Polynesian island of Tonga last year commissioned an off-grid microgrid to provide island residents with reliable, clean and affordable power. In 2017, when Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria and people were dying because they could not use their phones to get help or refrigerate medicines or use oxygen machines for lack of power, the community of Humacao used its microgrid to power a community center that was a lifesaver for people in that community.
Billion Electric Group, a Taiwanese electronics and energy solutions company, delivered the systems to Palau, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands. The system included battery energy storage, 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.
