A project to convert the tiny island nation of Tokelau to all solar power is nearing fruition, as workers finish the first of three major panel arrays. Once activated, the installations should provide more than 90 percent of the power used by the islands' 1,711 residents.
The three solar arrays will generate about a megawatt in total, and batteries will keep the lights on at times when Tokelau's citizens previously could not afford to run generators. They are designed to withstand the humid and windy tropical environment, and actually produce a surplus of power, meaning the population can expand without taxing the system.
The roughly nine million New Zealand dollars (around $7.3 million US) needed to plan and build the installations was taken out in loans from the New Zealand government and contributed by the U.N. Development Programme
When the installations are switched on in September, fossil fuels will only be necessary for the three cars maintained by the country
