ABSTRACT
Most small island developing states (SIDS) are blessed with abundant renewable energy resources, but they depend overwhelmingly on petroleum for their electricity production and biomass for the bulk of their energy consumption. Neither of these sources is about to be depleted completely, but access to both is limited, and the use of either has severe environmental and economic consequences. SIDS have a high and relatively constant supply of solar energy but its use as high grade and clean energy source is largely under exploited. PV systems have been used on many islands, mainly in dispersed settings, for telecommunication transmission and reception, lighting, small medical refrigerators, and water pumping. PV can play an important role in improving the quality of life of people residing in small and remote island states. This paper has the objective of providing the background to the underlying issues of SIDS, an overview of the PV applications and finally the challenges that PV in island states faces in the future. The paper draws from a wide range of activities in rural electrification programmes undertaken by IT Power including a chapter co-ordinated by IT Power with contributions from Ecoenergy, Barbados and Tritech, Fiji, titled "Energy as tool for sustainable development in African Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States". This study was carried out for UNDP and EC in 1999 and the report is now available from UNDP and EC offices.
