The Cook Islands is a Large Ocean State with an Exclusive Economic Zone spanning approximately 2 million km2. It extends from latitude 8° to 23° South, longitude 156° to 167° West. The nation is divided into a northern group of six islands and a southern group of nine islands. Three are uninhabited (Suwarrow, Manuae and Takutea). Rarotonga is the most populated island with about 85% of the national population; the outer islands are remote and sparsely populated.
Electrical power has been provided by generators on each island, but diesel fuel is sourced from Auckland and requires long sea voyages, especially to the northern atolls. Faced with global climate change driven largely by human activities, shipping fuel such long distances no longer seems viable. carbon footprint. The outer islands conserved fuel by turning the power off overnight (11 pm to 6 am), but because Taio shipping is rare they occasionally still ran out of fuel. Rarotonga and Manihiki had 24-hour power.
New Zealand Government decided to assist Cook Islands by providing solar power in the northern atolls. The AID programme Uira Natura ko Tokerau (NZ$20 million) was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade Construction of the solar arrays was by PowerSmart Solar of New Zealand
The first solar site was at Rakahanga, which was completed in September 2014. Pukapuka and Nassau were next, going online at Christmas 2014. Construction began at Tongareva on 23 February 2015 and just 10 weeks later both villages Omoka and Te Tautua were running on solar power. Manihiki was progressed at the same time. In June 2015 all of the northern atolls were fully solar powered. In addition the requirement to send ships north during the cyclone season (November to April) is now reduced.
The solar arrays photovoltaic produce 800 volts DC, which is inverted to 230 volts AC and fed to the grid. Power can be inverted again to 48 volts DC to trickle charge the batteries. The system is completed with a small diesel generator that starts automatically.
Construction of solar arrays in the Southern Cook Islands is out for tender, and should be funded by the Asian Development Bank; it is expected that Cook Islands will be entirely solar powered by 2020