Vuna District School

Vuna District School is in Vuna Village, near the western tip of Taveuni. It has 184 students, 9 teachers and nine teachers' homes. Much of the school was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016 and has since been rebuilt.

Before solar, the teachers' homes were already wired, and the school had a good but expensive generator that supplied two to four hours of power during the day and four hours in the evening for the teachers and night study.

The 6 kW system we installed in late 2019 included 21 Yingli 275 W panels, an OutBack FLEXpower TWO inverter/charger, 12 SimpliPhi PHI 2.7 lithium batteries and a Clenergy roof-mount system. We usually mount arrays on the ground, but the new building was very strong and well oriented, so the panels went on its roof.

We wired several classrooms, and a good deal of extra wiring brought the system into line with the three-phase wiring recently installed to the main buildings and teachers' homes. The system also powers the teachers' homes, each fitted with a 4-amp breaker that limits appliances to under 960 W, so everyone gets a fair share of the 24-hour power. We expected the project to divert FJ$12,000 a year from generator fuel into educational equipment and resources.

The school committed to spending 20 minutes each week picking up plastic – less waste, and great learning for the kids.

In 2025 the system was upgraded, and the school now also has Starlink internet, laptops and smart TVs. The system is part of The Solar Fund (Fiji), which monitors it and pays for its servicing and repairs.

The lead sponsors were the Australian Government, through Australian Aid, and the Fiji Water Foundation, with further funding or in-kind support from the Rotary Clubs of Ku-ring-gai, Corrimal, Kadina and Taveuni, and from Platinum Cables. The kids at the school send a big vinaka – thank you. As always, our thanks go to CBS Power Solutions for partnering with us on the installation, and to our equipment and service supporters.