![]() ![]() Living on an island, you experience global warming firsthand. This project will help lessen the carbon footprint of the world. ![]() Factoring in the escalating cost of fuel, along with transporting such mass quantities to the small island, the financial impact is substantial. The system is expected to offset the use of more than 109,500 gallons of diesel per year. The project was funded by the American Samoa Economic Development Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Interior, and is expected to allow the island to save significantly on energy costs. The battery system also allows the island to use stored solar energy at night, meaning renewable energy is available for use around the clock. The stability and affordability of power from the new Ta’u microgrid, operated by American Samoa Power Authority, provides energy independence for the nearly 600 residents of Ta’u. Solar and storage systems also eliminate expenses and issues associated with shipping diesel and provide stable power costs for decades, unlike fluctuating fossil fuel prices – all by simply switching to the power of the sun. Today, microgrid solutions featuring solar power and energy storage cost less than diesel almost anywhere in the world and are a cleaner, safer alternative. Like Ta’u, many communities across the globe use diesel as their main source of power. “It’s always sunny out here, and harvesting that energy from the sun will make me sleep a lot more comfortably at night, just knowing I’ll be able to serve my customers,” said Ahsoon. But the biggest advantage is cost: Tau’s microgrid replaces diesel generators with more affordable solar energy, and is designed to optimize system performance and maximize savings. The local hospital, high school and elementary schools, fire and police stations and local businesses no longer need to worry about outages or rationing. ![]() Its benefits are life changing for residents of Ta’u. The microgrid – 1.4 megawatts of solar generation capacity from SolarCity and Tesla and 6 megawatt hours of battery storage from 60 Tesla Powerpacks – was implemented within just one year from start to finish. Ta’u now hosts a solar power and battery storage-enabled microgrid that can supply nearly 100 percent of the island’s power needs from renewable energy, providing a cost-saving alternative to diesel, removing the hazards of power intermittency and making outages a thing of the past. And now, in 2016, we were still experiencing the same problems.” It’s hard to live not knowing what’s going to happen. Water systems here also use pumps, everyone in the village uses and depends on that. Once diesel gets low, we try to save it by using it only for mornings and afternoons. “We rely on that boat for everything, including importing diesel for the generators for all of our electricity. “I recall a time they weren’t able to get the boat out here for two months,” said Keith Ahsoon, a local resident whose family owns one of the food stores on the island. The island of Ta’u in American Samoa, located more than 4,000 miles from the West Coast of the United States, is no stranger to power rationing and outages. There are challenges to living on a remote island – from food scarcity to destructive weather – and the lack of affordable, reliable power is among the greatest. ![]()
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