It’s Time Foundation · Fiji
Transforming lives. Reducing carbon. Creating generational change.
Our mission
In Fiji’s remote schools, the lights go off when the generator does. We set out to change that.
It’s Time Foundation installs quality solar and battery systems, Starlink internet, computer labs, Smart TVs and freezers – transforming the education and prospects for generations of students while reducing carbon emissions.
Our mission and modelCompleted installations
Schools switched on... so far
72
Schools completed
7,241
Students per year
580kW
Solar array installed
2,003kWh
Battery storage installed
What we do
What switching on means
Every school gets the same system, sized to meet their needs. Here's what that looks like on the ground.
A remote island school
Many Pacific Island schools have no electricity, or rely on generators they can barely afford to run a few hours a day.
Solar arrays
Panels go on a building roof or on a ground-mounted frame, positioned to make the most of the sun.
Battery system
Batteries and inverters go into an existing small room or we build out an enclosure for them.
Trenching and cabling
Trenches are dug and cables laid connecting the new power throughout the school grounds.
Wiring & lighting
Efficient lighting and replacement wiring to Aus & NZ standards are added across the school.
Starlink internet
A Starlink dish and access points add connectivity. The same link is used for remote system monitoring.
Computer lab
We add a bench of laptops in a suitable classroom area – a new computer lab for students and teachers.
Smart TVs
One or two smart TVs go into classrooms, bringing online lessons and video into everyday teaching.
A freezer for the hostels
Boarding schools get a freezer too, so food for the students can be stored safely.
24/7 clean power
The system keeps the school, teachers’ homes and hostels powered through the day and into the night.
The effects
More than just classroom lights
The benefits reach everyone who lives and learns at the school, and the community beyond.
Students
Homework after dark, a computer lab in class, and the internet to learn with.
Teachers
24-hour power at home and in the classroom - making working in remote schools more attractive.
Boarders
Light to study by in the hostels, and freezers so the kids who board can count on protein.
Women in the trades
Building women’s skills in solar is an ongoing It’s Time Foundation initiative to grow capacity across the region.
The whole community
Diesel money stays in the school for resources, and every school spends 15 minutes a week clearing plastics.
The Solar Fund (Fiji)
Funded on day one to last for decades.
Every school we power joins The Solar Fund (Fiji), an independent, protected maintenance fund we set up with support from the Australian Government. It builds up reserves so repairs can be paid for quickly when something goes wrong, with contracted solar and electrical team keeping every system running.
We believe it’s the first fund of its kind in the South Pacific.
Women in solar
Opening the solar trades to Pacific women
Building women’s skills in solar is an ongoing It’s Time Foundation programme. We encourage schoolgirls to see solar as a career, give women the field experience they rarely get, and connect them with women already working in the industry.
Updates
