Promoting sustainability of renewable energy technologies and renewable energy service companies in the Fiji Islands

Between 12,000 and 16,000 households in Fiji are potential recipients of rural electrification programmes according to Fiji Department of Energy (DoE) recent assessments. The DoE now has over ten years of experience with small scale simulated Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCO) operated rural electrification with Solar Home System (SHS) and considers the trials a success. The proposed project to add up to 5,000 homes to the present RESCO programme will be the first full scale implementation with it being considered as the "proof of concept" project. This main objective to provide DoE and all potentially interested parties, sufficient information to allow and plan the development of RESCO based rural electrification that can provide the expected electrical services to rural households in a fully sustainable manner - which partly means that no further public investment beyond support of the initial investment should be required. This feasibility study has been conceived with that objective foremost. It is to determine the optimal institutional and technical approach by which the electrification of rural households and public facilities can be undertaken through a RESCO based Public Private Partnership. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.