Some of the most vulnerable places in the world to live in the face of climate change are islands. Rising sea levels, contaminated ground water, and increasing severity of storms are just some of the many threats to island communities. Many island residents also pay extremely high energy prices due to limited domestic resources and the need to import fuel long distances. Tokelau is an island nation in the South Pacific whose highest point is only 16 feet above sea level. In October of 2012, Tokelau became the first country in the world to produce 100% of its electricity from the sun. Prior to 2012, residents relied on 3 diesel-driven power stations, burning 52 gallons a day at a cost of nearly $800,000 per year. They had electricity only 15-18 hours a day. Now they have 3 solar photovoltaic systems, 4,032 solar panels, and 1,344 batteries that provide 150% of their current electricity demand. In overcast weather, the generators run on local coconut oil, providing power while recharging the battery bank. The only fossil fuels used in Tokelau are for the island nation’s 3 cars. New Zealand advanced $7 million to Tokelau to install the PV systems, but with the money they saved on fuel imports, the system paid for itself in a short amount of time. Tokelau helped other nations to learn what needs to be done, paving the way for the rest of the world.
