Mission Innovation Challenge – Off-Grid Access to Electricity

Summary

Need

Over a billion people globally do not have access to electricity. Renewable energy has a key role to play in increasing access and progressing the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) agenda. Pacific Island countries have ambitious renewable energy targets and have been making significant recent progress towards these goals.

There are, however, a number of technical and institutional challenges arising, both in serving remote dispersed off-grid end-users, and as variable renewable energy penetration levels increase on what are often relatively small electricity grids.

Action

The University of New South Wales, the University of the South Pacific, and partners CSIRO, ITP Renewables and Global Sustainable Energy Solutions Pty Ltd are engaging with stakeholders to identify key challenges towards electricity access and renewable energy targets in Pacific Island countries, as well as potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration.

Outcome

The project aims to:

• review the status, plans and challenges for energy access and renewables in Pacific Island countries
• deliver key learnings to inform national strategies, standards, technologies or policies
• strengthen knowledge sharing and networks for collaboration between Australian and Pacific Island stakeholders, including utilities, regional governments, consultants, research institutes and development partners
• build capacity; and highlight related partner activities in the region.

Additional impact

The project has created opportunities to align knowledge sharing and collaboration activities with those of the Mission Innovation Challenge 2 partners, as well as the new International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme Task 18, the International Solar Alliance and the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Clean Energy Solutions Centre.