September saw the conclusion of the recent IRENA-funded grid-connected photovoltaics (PV) training in the Pacific, which was coordinated by PPA and SEIAPI and delivered by GSES. GSES conducted a total of 6 training sessions in 5 island nations for both power utility and private industry personnel. The final two sessions took place in the Kingdom of Tonga and The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
The Tongan training took place on the main island of Tongatapu at Tonga Power Ltd’s head quarters in Nuku’alofa. The training included the construction of a new PV system, designed and built by the students, which can be used for future training. A site inspection of a Japan-funded 1MWp grid-connected PV system, which was mid-way through construction, was included as part of the training.
GSES trainers also recently traveled to the capital of RMI, Majuro, to conduct a 3-day grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system training course with the aim of building local installation skills.The RMI has already been dramatically affected by climate change and will be one of the first nations to be flooded if sea levels rise as predicted. The country is doing all it can to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, while at the same time improving access to electricity across its dispersed population.
