Fiji turns to solar amid rising fuel costs
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Residents of Rukurukulevu village in Fiji are responding to increasing energy bills by investing in solar power.
The village recently connected all buildings to the national grid, but high electricity prices, driven by the conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to fuel shipments from the Gulf, are straining household budgets. Some villagers are already installing solar panels, despite the initial FJ$3,000 cost, to gain energy independence.
Vereniki Nalio, a village spokesman, reported monthly electricity bills of FJ$60 for his home, while the church and community halls pay up to FJ$300. The situation prompted villagers to consider renewable energy sources when they heard fuel shipments might be halted. Rukurukulevu hopes to reduce costs further by installing solar panels on communal buildings.
Fiji’s government acknowledges the energy crisis, which is worsened by the El Niño weather pattern reducing water levels in hydroelectric dams and a reliance on imported fossil fuels that cost the country up to 12% of its GDP. The nation aims to generate 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2035, with plans to invest FJ$2 billion in solar and hydropower over the next ten years, including FJ$460 million for solar farms in the next four years.
