School children in remote Fijian communities are expected to benefit from more reliable, renewable energy in their classrooms, thanks to the latest Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership announced this week.
Through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), the Australian Government is teaming up with Its Time Foundation to invest $278,000AUD ($417,924.37FJD) in the design and development of an effective model of monitoring and maintenance for solar energy systems installed by Its Time Foundation within remote Fijian school communities. This includes $210,000AUD ($312,448 FJD) by the Australian Government with the remaining investment by Its Time Foundation through cash or in-kind contributions.
The two-year partnership will kick off with a solar installation at Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island, as a model of high-quality design, installation and remote monitoring that will minimise demand for future maintenance. An independent maintenance funding model will be developed to ensure future resources are available to meet ongoing maintenance needs, aiming to be scalable for other school communities in Fiji and other remote Pacific communities.
Australia is committed to climate action in Fiji, with a focus on ensuring that renewable energy remains through sustainable through effective operations and maintenance. By doing so, it will support Fijian school children in remote communities to power up their education and achieve better outcomes through reliable energy access now and for future generations.
Its Time Foundation’s Founder, Rob Edwards OAM, said “We’re excited to build on our record of installing 30 remote school solar systems in Fiji to develop a sustainable maintenance and funding model that will keep the lights on for remote school communities in Fiji and beyond, now and into the future.
“This will enable children and young people in remote communities to access all the benefits of a modern education that increasingly relies on computers and other electronic resources, while improving the quality of life for the wider community and reducing carbon emissions.”
The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of the PCIFP’s initiative to expand AIFFP’s climate investments by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP).
This is the third partnership to be announced and the first for Fiji. More partnerships will be announced soon.
Find out more about the partnerships here: https://thebpp.com.au/partnership/piloting-a-sustainable-solar-energy-model-for-fijis-remote-school-communities/
School children in remote Fijian communities will soon benefit from more reliable sustainable solar energy systems