In the Pacific,isl communities are experiencing significant climate change impact.They recognize the environmental benefits of reducing or replacing carbon-intensive diesel power generation.Now isl communities are embracing ambitious renewable energy targets,many as high as 100 percent over the next 10 or 20 years.

In these remote locations diesel fuel is the single largest expense for power generation,so reducing reliance on expensive diesel fuel will have economic benefits.To meet the target and reducing carbon emissions costs,they need use renewable energy power systems.However, transitioning to higher levels of renewable energy in power systems requires confidence that the renewables can provide the energy security, self-sufficiency system stability required by these remote communities.

Renewable energy technologies may pose some challenges for reliability quality of power supply, but remedies can be found in enabling technologies. In an isolated power system, matching the renewable technologies with the right enabling technologies at the right moment needs detailed planning.

Bsed on experiences of a number of Pacific isl communities.There are several stages of the renewable energy journeys.

Stage 1: Explore the status of current power generation assets, determine what needs to be improved, underst the renewable resource, investigate the cost options for funding it.

Stage 2: Introducing renewables that will work without enablers or network upgrades, without changing the control philosophy.

Stage 3: To progress toward 35 percent, we need to adjust the system’s operating philosophy to integrate large-scale renewables, introduce the appropriate enabling technologies.

Stage 4: This stage marks the largest change in how the isl power system is operated. To move beyond 50 percent renewables, we stop, review, adjust course where needed. At this stage, power systems become very complex to operate maintain because high renewable penetration can only be achieved through a delicate balance of multiple new enabling technologies working in sync. The isl community could find itself investing more in enabling technologies than in renewable energy at this stage, but this could result in a higher renewable energy contribution. It is also crucial to consider changes to energy delivery, the utility’s relationships with customers its procedures, to building its personnel capabilities.

Stage 5: Identifying enabling technologies techniques that can bridge the gap between 70-80 percent 100 percent renewable contribution, without significant increases in the cost of electricity.