Transcript
JOHN VIVIAN: In the past, it's correct that if you were on the grid and getting power from PNG Power you couldn't install rooftop solar and generate your own power. There were a number of concerns, and the reason for the pilot is to address them, [such as] the capacity of the grid itself. So you have very sunny days and people will be drawing no power from the grid and then on the cloudy, rainy days... the power would peak up again, and a lot of power in PNG is generated from diesel - they've been some challenges in getting all the grids lined up. So there's been a concern to date that the grid would be a bit sensitive to too much solar power - so they're going to introduce it gradually with the pilot and then see how the grid reacts and then work out how they can roll it out more progressively.
AMELIA LANGFORD: This is very exciting for PNG isn't it because this could be a very cheap way of getting power but also renewable?
JV: Yes, not only for the industry, but also for the consumer. Only about 20 percent of Papua New Guineans are connected to the grid. So, by introducing these solar systems, both on grid and off grid, it will help a lot of people. Not just businesses but a lot of everyday Papua New Guineans, [who will] have light to read by and power to cook by et cetera.
AL: How important do you think it is for countries like PNG to move towards renewable energy?
JV: I don't think you can qualify it as important, it's a must. The cost of diesel fuels and the climate issues associated with burning hydrocarbons - you know, as [French President] Macron said, 'there is no planet B'. So, we're really all focussing our efforts to move towards these sustainable energies like solar.
AL: And do you have those businesses signed up for this trial already?
JV: At this stage, we have more businesses than we can take who are interested in it. There are a lot of businesses in PNG who have been waiting to move to solar. You know, the cost of solar versus diesel and on-grid power systems - it just makes such commercial sense. And everyone is very very conscious of the climate issues as well. So, I don't think we have any challenges in finding the first 20 odd customers.