57-03 Solar Fiji Action Project Proposal
Introduction to solar Fiji
Solar Fiji is a company of renewable energy located at Nasinu, Suva on the islands of Fiji. It is a popular organisation that installs solar products of high quality in Fiji. This company mainly supply and installs solar power systems in the south pacific region. In addition to that, this company produce the best quality solar systems that provide its customers and communities with a guarantee of long years satisfaction. Solar Fiji provides customizes systems for homes and businesses all over Fiji Islands. They have developed a plan to deliver clean energy solutions that is beneficial to human health as well as the health of nature. This helps to improve the lives of people on Fiji island and make easier their journey. Furthermore, this company deliver their products and services to every corner of the island in urban areas as well as in rural areas.
The mission of solar Fiji
- Providing clean energy solutions to every home and business of Fiji island
- Deliver energy solution which is beneficial for humans and the environment
- This is powered by 100% renewable energy
- Bringing power to people
Aim and vision for long-term
Solar Fiji has aimed to grow and empower more communities and businesses with the power of solar systems and contribute to changing the climate. The mission of solar Fiji is to provide high-quality solar products to every home of Fiji island and business on Fiji island to take a step towards sustainable development.
Current challenges in developing solar Fiji
Cost
Solar products need no cost after installing them but at the initial level, it is costly to install these products. People do not want to spend this amount of money, which is the biggest challenge for Solar Fiji to develop a place where there is maximum use of solar equipment. As per the view of Abass et al. (2021), solar technologies are developing constantly and it can be assumed that the costs of installing solar products will be reduced in future.
Storage of solar energy
Storage of solar energy is a costly approach. As per the opinion of Brass et al. (2020), solar energies should be used in the right ways otherwise it needs to be stored in large batteries. This is a reason people s do not want to switch to solar products and this becomes challenging for solar Fiji to reduce the cost of batteries.
Planning and delivery
Current services and products of solar Fiji
Solar Fiji offers several products to its customers which are provided by s 100% renewable as this energy does not produce any greenhouse gases so it will not hamper the environment.
Portable Off-Grid Systems
People now can have uninterrupted energy sources in a kit which is known as Portable Off Grid System. People can use this system when they are travelling in a boat, mobile home or trailer to ensure longer and smoother rides. Furthermore, people can request a customised installation from solar Fiji.
Solar Off Grids
Solar off-grid had invented to independently meet energy requirements by considering solar panels, batteries and inverters. This is a useful tool for space cooling or heating, powering up applicants.
Solar pumps and farms
Solar pumps are helpful in gardening, landscaping and drinking reservoirs of livestock. People can have off-grid solar pumps in the case when main water cables are not close to the location. As per the view of Dhimish et al. (2018), solar pumps are a solution for a complete water source and it reduces the costs of farming.
Battery storage system
Solar Fiji offers a battery storage system so that people can fully use energy. This can be installed for many purposes and they provide a deep cycle battery. Some of the top battery storage that they use are power blocks, Selectronic, Alpha, Schneider, life pro and listen.
Hot Water Heat Pumps
People can save their water heating expenses by using hot water heat pumps. Solar fuji offers high-quality water heating pumps that operate by heat generated from solar tubes. This helps people to save their budget.
Split System Cooling Installations
This product of Solar Fiji provides a comfortable room temperature, especially in the hottest weather. People can install this cooling system for various applications and this is very cost savings.
Current competitors of solar Fiji
There are many companies in Fiji that provide the same service as Solar Fiji does. CBS power solution, Renewable Energy Services Ltd, Clay Energy, Leon Trading, Rainbow Power Co Ltd and Solar & Alternative Energy Supplies (Fiji) Ltd.
Impact of renewable energy on the environment
There are several benefits of using renewable energy for the environment as well as for the economy. Hence some impacts of renewable energy on the environment are given below.
Cleaner air
The use of fossil fuels for generating electricity can reduce pollution of air and water. As fossil fuel does not produce any greenhouse gases which are the main cause of air pollution. As per the view of Durganjali et al. (2020), electricity generated from renewable energy sources produces fewer greenhouse gases between 90-99% compared with electricity generated in plants of coal-fired and causes less pollution by 70-90%.
Zero Carbon Emissions
Most remarkable benefit of using renewable energy is that there will be no emissions of carbon and other pollutants during the process. As per the opinion of Edward and Dewi (2019), caol power plants produce around 2.2 pounds of carbon dioxide for generating electricity every kilowatt hour. Renewable energy does not contribute to global warming and helps to provide energy that is emission-free.
Uses less water
Renewable energy uses less water compared with other sources of electricity. As per the view of El-Bayeh et al. (2021), electricity generation from coal and natural gases requires more than 60000 water gallons per megawatt of electricity. On the other hand, solar panels do not need any water to generate electricity but need water for cleaning and washing.
Benefits of solar panel
Installing solar panels and home batteries are excellent choices as it has many benefits. Some major benefits of using solar panels are,
Gives control over electricity
Solar panels give control over electricity as it doe s not depend on electricity rates and offer eligible power backup. It is helpful for homer use and also uses in business as it generates more amount of electricity that does not require and it can be saved for future use.
Provides clean and renewable energy
Solar systems are clean and emission free energy sources. Unlike other fuels like coal and natural gases, solar system does not produce any harmful pollutants. Asa per the opinion of Guangul and Chala (2019), solar panels can prevent 167 billion US dollars in damage to health and environment by reducing air pollution.
Low maintenance costs
Solar panel light requires a low cost for their maintenance and also requires low effort in maintenance as people doe s not need to spend more time cleansing or repairing.
Reduces Electricity Bills
People who use solar planners pay low electricity bills as they get most of the required energy from solar panels. As per the opinion of Hayat et al. (2019), amount of money that people save by using solar panels is different as it depends on electricity and heat uses and also size of solar system.
Electricity consumption
Rural vs Urban
Residents of rural areas mainly use more electricity than residents in urban areas in winter. Rural residents are considerably more likely to have water heating, space heating, clothes dryers ect than residents of urban areas. This equipment demands more electricity and that is why electricity consumption in rural areas is more than in urban areas. However, there is no difference in electricity consumption for industrial usage.
Figure 1: Consumption of electricity in rural vs urban areas
(Source: Homadi et al. 2020)
Town vs Village
Electricity consumption in towns is greater than electricity consumption in villages of Fiji. As per the view of Homadi et al. (2020), the lifestyle of people in towns is complicated as they depend on electrical devices for almost every task performed. On the other hand, peoples who live in villages depend on themselves more than electrical devices to perform a task. In addition to that, the author stated that refrigerators, water heaters, room heaters etc are more used by people in towns rather than people in villages.
Market segment of solar Fiji
Business to Business
The business-to-business market segment generally focuses on finding a correct audience segment by examining some characteristics. As per the opinion of Hyder et al. (2018), without a proper market segment, any business can not sustain itself in the market. Solar Fiji uses to get in partnerships with other companies that help them to promote environmental sustainability and use of solar panels across the island of Fiji.
Business to Customer
Business-to-customer generally has five major categories of segments which are, geographic, demographic, psychographic, geodemographic and behaviour based. As per the opinion of Maani et al. (2020), business to customer marketing segment helps marketers to become more efficient.
Evaluate necessity of energy in empowering people in the villagers of Fiji
Figure 2: Evaluation of solar energy
(Source: Kreuwel et al. 2020)
Fiji rural people in the last few years, Fiji was considering solar energy to satisfy essentials. Solar power is now a proven technology that helps to generate power reserve without damaging natural resources. Mini-grids of solar Fiji are utilised to access electricity in the homes of Fiji villagers. As per the observations of Teng et al. (2020), it is affordable, and people of Fiji from rural communities are suffering from electricity problems solar energy is a saviour for supplying a free supply of energy. Home solar is inexpensive to afford for the rural people of Fiji.
Understand the impact renewable energy can have on;
Solar energy improves the quality of life at a very affordable price Offgrid system effectively improves the quality of life. As per the observations of Qiu et al. (2021), the innovation of solar Fiji is contributing to improving the lives of rural and urban people. Understanding the impact of solar energy is quite essential and has created a positive impact on this study paper.
Business of Solar Fiji in Rural communities
Rural people now do not require an electrical connection, and the technological implementation of Fiji is reducing the necessity of old electricity connections. As per the observations of Sengupta et al. (2021), People in rural areas are not living in homes made up of solar; it is portable and affordable at the same time. Solar plantation generates electricity from the sun and it takes more than 26 hours if consumed effectively, as a result, the rural people of island get an unlimited supply of energy in all circumstances.
Business of Solar Fiji in Urban communities
Business and corporation sectors are completely dependent on electricity to fulfil the requirements of their work. Therefore with electricity, the solar power of solar Fiji boosts the performance of the company and improves the supply of energy at a low cost. Solar Fiji is a great substitute for generators as generators are cost-effective, and many people are not able to bear the price, however, solar Fiji has invented portable grits to generate electricity automatically from the sun. As per the study conducted by Ding et al. (2021) solar panel system improves the quality of the battery by collecting energy from the sun it does not requires any other service cost and recharge to ovation the energy.
Contribution of innovation created by Solar Fiji in marking rural life effective and easy
Figure 3: Hybrid Solar Power Systems
(Source: Influenced by Mamkhezri et al. 2020)
Solar Fiji is designed and created by engineers for supplying solar energy in the biggest homes and offices with the implementation of “Hybrid Solar Power Systems in Funafuti”, it effectively provides 18x power of solar panels with 300W, Solar panels 18 x JA 330W used to create the complete model. As per the viewpoint of Wang et al. (2020), victron LYNX Power with 3x power is effectively helping to provide the potential for obtaining solar energy in large areas, therefore, it improves lifestyles as well as the environment without affecting natural resources. The utilization of solar power in effectively sustaining the lives of people is an innovative step of solar Fiji.
The project is creating new technology and awareness of solar power, the business is gaining support from a majority of the ruler areas, as rural people are contributing to the majority of the business, and the business of solar Fiji is gaining profit from the island area. As per the opinion of Alnaser and Alnaser (2020), expanding business for the people where electricity is a concern is the major target people for gaining more sales in business. In a very short span of time business has achieved sales and reputation as it encounters the effectiveness and utilization of solar power in daily life.
Contribution of Solar Fiji to improving lifestyles of rural people on the island of Fiji
Solar Fiji is contributing potentially to the life of rural and urban people, 10.8kWp Commercial alone is enough for developing rural life. As per the observations of Sinitskaya et al. (2020), the method of the business is created for delivering one-phase power for the guest accommodation, houses and offices. As per the suggestions of Dupont et al. (2020), solar energy is used for harvesting and supplying the needs of agriculture. Rural people are influenced by the innovative technology of solar Fiji.
Evaluate of challenges faced by the people living in the Fiji
Rural areas of Fiji lack connectivity as a result it is a concern to connect with people in their time of need. As per the observations of Heffron et al. (2021), the geographical location of Fiji is the biggest challenge for solar Fiji. Promoting a business in areas with a lack of communication and connection, it becomes difficult to provide a persuasive supply of products at the time of requirement. The people of Fiji are completely dependent on agriculture, reading the energy of solar is effectively contributing to the development of the villagers. Lack of economical status is a concern for the villagers; they are not able to bear the cost of electricity supply. As cited by Kreuwel et al. (2020), poor people are completely dependent on solar Fiji, and utilization of solar energy and other natural resources promotes a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle for the rural people.
Potential barriers with an evaluation of project topic, engagement of issues, possible solutions and development of nation by implementation of solar energy in the rural area of Fiji
Based on this topic different sorts of challenges and barriers have to be faced in order to achieve success. One of the biggest challenges of the solar Fiji organization is the lack of availability of land. As per the observations of Kassem et al. (2020), implementation of a solar project in an organization required a lot of open fields and places. However, this is a potential challenge and is marked as a barrier. On the other hand, market entry is another barrier to this project report. As per the observations of Hasija et al. (2021), a lot of obstacles have arisen in the case of entry into a new market segment and capturing the market segment. Market entry is one of the significant barriers faced by solar Fiji. Natural sources of solar energy production need different improvements in technology and availability of natural sources like a fossil; energy, gasses and other components like coal. Maintenance of solar firms is quite expensive and it is also considered an effective barrier in case of the success of solar Fiji. As cited by Zhang et al. (2021), multiple study reports have revealed that installation of an overall solar plan ranges from 25000-3800 kilowatts of the energy scale. Hence, needed products regarding installation like coal and other gasses are quite costly, almost 1000 US dollars/KW.
In foreign countries, most of the organizations related to solar energy have used an overall view of the system and procedures. As per the observations of Zhang et al. (2020), multiple experts related to the solar energy system have documented that the usage of modern technology is the fundamental solution in order to overcome considerable issues that have arisen.
Solar Fiji can generate revenue and overcome all of those issues by following some effective and essential steps. First of all, understanding the marketing demand and analysing them. This is one of the easiest ways to attract potential consumers in the competitive market segment. Different types of barriers can be overcome by utilizing multiple processes and methods.
Evaluation
The paper evaluates that solar energy is several energy types produced by the sun. Solar energy is able to be harnessed indirectly or directly in favour of human utilise. Innovation of solar Fiji improves the lives of rural people as they are able to access electricity. The paper also evaluates that on condition that people are indicating very different renewable energy types, people should consider “solar energy a viable option”. As per the suggestions of Bandara and Amarasena (2020),in order to make soirees about the organization extend their objectives and goals, business owners who are very successful and they are must begin by setting expectations and milestones in favour of each and every segment of their organization. During the time of day, total light from the direct sun hits entire solar panels at a farm of solar.
All the panels include with cells of photovoltaic, which is totally convert “sunlight into electricity”. As per the study conducted by Eslami et al. (2021), the total system is very cost-effective and this system is also very helpful in favour of all Fiji people and this is very beneficial for those who are actually very poor from financial side. In addition, solar energy decreases total carbon footprint, the significant contribution to the footprint of carbon is the fossil fuels utilize. In addition, this particular energy is the cleanest form of energy form. In favour of each and every “1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of solar energy” generating “0.5 to 1 ton of carbon dioxide” is offset. As cited by Li and Wu (2020), this is very beneficial for the environment and that is why most of the Fiji people are recommending solar energy and also due to electricity issues.
Reference List
Journals
Abass, A.Z., Pavlyuchenko, D.A., AlRikabi, H.T., Abed, F.T. and Gaidukov, J., 2021, September. Economic Feasibility Study of a Hybrid Power Station Between Solar Panels and Wind Turbine with The National Grid in Al-Hayy City in the Central of Iraq. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 1184, No. 1, p. 012001). IOP Publishing. Available at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/1184 Sengupta, M., Habte, A., Wilbert, S., Gueymard, C. and Remund, J., 2021. Best practices handbook for the collection and use of solar resource data for solar energy applications (No. NREL/TP-5D00-77635). National Renewable Energy Lab.(NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Available at: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1778700
Brass, J.N., Schon, J., Baldwin, E. and MacLean, L.M., 2020. Spatial analysis of bureaucrats’ attempts to resist political capture in a developing democracy: The distribution of solar panels in Ghana. Political Geography, 76, p.102087. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/78217535/PG_pre-print.pdf
Dhimish, M., Holmes, V., Mather, P. and Sibley, M., 2018. Novel hot spot mitigation technique to enhance photovoltaic solar panels output power performance. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 179, pp.72-79. Available at: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/177692/1/Manuscript_SOLMAT.pdf
Durganjali, C.S., Bethanabhotla, S., Kasina, S. and Radhika, S., 2020, March. Recent developments and future advancements in solar panels technology. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1495, No. 1, p. 012018). IOP Publishing. Available at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1495/1/012018/pdf
Edward, A. and Dewi, T., 2019, November. The effectiveness of solar tracker use on solar panels to the output of the generated electricity power. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 347, No. 1, p. 012130). IOP Publishing. Available at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/347/1/012130/pdf
El-Bayeh, C.Z., Alzaareer, K., Brahmi, B., Zellagui, M. and Eicker, U., 2021. An original multi-criteria decision-making algorithm for solar panels selection in buildings. Energy, 217, p.119396. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claude-El-Bayeh/publication/346502702_An_Original_Multi-Criteria_Decision-Making_Algorithm_for_Solar_Panels_Selection_in_Buildings/links/5ffba19e92851c13fe02e625/An-Original-Multi-Criteria-Decision-Making-Algorithm-for-Solar-Panels-Selection-in-Buildings.pdf
Guangul, F.M. and Chala, G.T., 2019, January. Solar energy as renewable energy source: SWOT analysis. In 2019 4th MEC international conference on big data and smart city (ICBDSC) (pp. 1-5). IEEE. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fiseha-Guangul/publication/331266856_Solar_Energy_as_Renewable_Energy_Source_SWOT_Analysis/links/5e8732e792851c2f5278494a/Solar-Energy-as-Renewable-Energy-Source-SWOT-Analysis.pdf
Hayat, M.B., Ali, D., Monyake, K.C., Alagha, L. and Ahmed, N., 2019. Solar energy—A look into power generation, challenges, and a solar‐powered future. International Journal of Energy Research, 43(3), pp.1049-1067. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niaz-Ahmed-8/publication/328763926_Solar_energy-A_look_into_power_generation_challenges_and_a_solar-powered_future/links/5c173c49a6fdcc494ffa2620/Solar-energy-A-look-into-power-generation-challenges-and-a-solar-powered-future.pdf
Homadi, A., Hall, T. and Whitman, L., 2020. Study a novel hybrid system for cooling solar panels and generate power. Applied Thermal Engineering, 179, p.115503. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/87784425/j.applthermaleng.2020.11550320220620-1-92p5ci.pdf
Hyder, F., Sudhakar, K. and Mamat, R., 2018. Solar PV tree design: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82, pp.1079-1096. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/54737437/1-s2.0-S1364032117312765-main.pdf
Maani, T., Celik, I., Heben, M.J., Ellingson, R.J. and Apul, D., 2020. Environmental impacts of recycling crystalline silicon (c-SI) and cadmium telluride (CDTE) solar panels. Science of The Total Environment, 735, p.138827.Available at: http://astro1.panet.utoledo.edu/~relling2/PDF/pubs/env_impacts_recycling_c-Si_CdTe_solar_cells_t.maani_(2020)_scitotenv.pdf
Mamodiya, U. and Tiwari, N., 2020. The performance enhancing technique analysis for automatic tracking tilt angle optimization of the solar panel with soft-computing process. International Journal of Advance Science and Technology, 29(10S), pp.3587-3601. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/63676293/udit_mamodiya_scopus_indexed20200619-20956-1go2o6y.pdf
Mathijssen, D., Hofs, B., Spierenburg-Sack, E., van Asperen, R., van der Wal, B., Vreeburg, J. and Ketelaars, H., 2020. Potential impact of floating solar panels on water quality in reservoirs; pathogens and leaching. Water Practice and Technology, 15(3), pp.807-811. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bas-Hofs/publication/342866696_Potential_impact_of_floating_solar_panels_on_water_quality_in_reservoirs_pathogens_and_leaching/links/60d0427aa6fdcc01d48af853/Potential-impact-of-floating-solar-panels-on-water-quality-in-reservoirs-pathogens-and-leaching.pdf
McElligott, M., 2019. A framework for responsible solar panel waste management in the United States. ONE J, 5, p.475. Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1242&context=onej
McKuin, B., Zumkehr, A., Ta, J., Bales, R., Viers, J.H., Pathak, T. and Campbell, J.E., 2021. Energy and water co-benefits from covering canals with solar panels. Nature Sustainability, 4(7), pp.609-617. Available at: McKuin, B., Zumkehr, A., Ta, J., Bales, R., Viers, J.H., Pathak, T. and Campbell, J.E., 2021. Energy and water co-benefits from covering canals with solar panels. Nature Sustainability, 4(7), pp.609-617.
Mito, M.T., Ma, X., Albuflasa, H. and Davies, P.A., 2019. Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalination driven by wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy: State of the art and challenges for large-scale implementation. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 112, pp.669-685. Available at: https://publications.aston.ac.uk/id/eprint/39310/1/Reverse_osmosis.pdf
Panat, S. and Varanasi, K.K., 2022. Electrostatic dust removal using adsorbed moisture–assisted charge induction for sustainable operation of solar panels. Science advances, 8(10), p.eabm0078. Available at: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.abm0078
Papakonstantinou, I., Portnoi, M. and Debije, M.G., 2021. The hidden potential of luminescent solar concentrators. Advanced Energy Materials, 11(3), p.2002883. Available at: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10116051/1/accepted_manuscript.pdf
Peters, J., Sievert, M. and Toman, M.A., 2019. Rural electrification through mini-grids: Challenges ahead. Energy Policy, 132, pp.27-31. Available at: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/190950/1/1045531871.pdf
Shahsavari, A. and Akbari, M., 2018. Potential of solar energy in developing countries for reducing energy-related emissions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 90, pp.275-291. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/80689182/E8301_IranArze.pdf
Wang, Z., Horseman, T., Straub, A.P., Yip, N.Y., Li, D., Elimelech, M. and Lin, S., 2019. Pathways and challenges for efficient solar-thermal desalination. Science advances, 5(7), p.eaax0763. Available at: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.aax0763
Zendehdel, M., Nia, N.Y. and Yaghoubinia, M., 2020. Emerging thin film solar panels. In Reliability and Ecological Aspects of Photovoltaic Modules. IntechOpen. Available at: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/44005/external_content.pdf?sequence=1#page=107
Zhang, C., Ma, Q., Cai, M., Zhao, Z., Xie, H., Ning, Z., Wang, D. and Yin, H., 2021. Recovery of porous silicon from waste crystalline silicon solar panels for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes. Waste Management, 135, pp.182-189. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muya-Cai/publication/354476038_Recovery_of_porous_silicon_from_waste_crystalline_silicon_solar_panels_for_high-performance_lithium-ion_battery_anodes/links/6145e2653c6cb31069779c60/Recovery-of-porous-silicon-from-waste-crystalline-silicon-solar-panels-for-high-performance-lithium-ion-battery-anodes.pdf
Zhang, J., Tan, H.S., Guo, X., Facchetti, A. and Yan, H., 2018. Material insights and challenges for non-fullerene organic solar cells based on small molecular acceptors. Nature Energy, 3(9), pp.720-731. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jianquan-Zhang/publication/326129875_Material_Insights_and_Challenges_for_Non-fullerene_Organic_Solar_Cells_Based_on_Small_Molecular_Acceptors/links/5fe3ed8c92851c13feb48c97/Material-Insights-and-Challenges-for-Non-fullerene-Organic-Solar-Cells-Based-on-Small-Molecular-Acceptors.pdf
Website
Solarfiji.org, 2022. About us. [Online] Available at: https://solarfiji.org/about-us/. [Accessed on: 05/11/2022]
Appendix
Appendix 1: solar radiation prediction
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S111001682200076X
