Story and Images by Alphina Liusamoa
What is this “ Island in the sun?” Why is it specifically given this name? Ta’u Manu’a, a remote island in the pacific is now running almost entirely on solar energy. A place that is about 6000 miles away from the United States is now running on one of earth’s most consistent renewable resources. This has really changed the people’s way of life here in Ta’u Manu’a.
Ta’u, Manu’a is now 98% using solar energy to power our island. This is one of the biggest change that this island has ever encountered. Mr. Jason Ilimaleota, a 20-year-old employee at ASPA in Manu’a said, “People don’t really see the changes that we’ve had since the use of solar power but it’s there. For instance, because of the use of solar power, now we can reduce the use of diesel. Reducing the use of diesel is a major accomplishment that ASPA had encountered”.
To be able to reduce the use of diesel is a very important impact, because now we can save almost 110,000 gallons of diesel annually. This way ASPA can save a lot of money from buying diesel.
Another great impact that happened from using solar power is being able to produce clean air and a cleaner environment. Before, our island used generators to produce power, and this was seen as a threat concerning the air the people are breathing. How? Because the generators are not only producing electricity, but also pumping out pollution into the air.
23 year old teacher at Faleasao Elementary Tinetali Filoialii pointed out,
“One of the impacts is that the using of solar power makes the air cleaner, and it is making it not only for me, but also the residents of Ta’u Manu’a very easy to breathe. That’s the greatest and rarest impact that ASPA and Solar City has provided Ta’u Manu’a”
Clean air and a clean environment is the kind of place that is very rare to find, yet because of solar power, Ta’u Manu’a is one of those places.
I have many feelings about this project: grateful, happy, relieved, and thankful to ASPA for conducting this project specifically here in Manu’a.
Mr. Porotesano Liusamoa, a teacher at Faleasao Elementary School commented, “What the project did to our island feels like a blessing. It never dawned on me that such things could come to reality in a small place, but Solar City changed that. Being able to breathe in clean air, and to save money doesn’t seem like a big impact to other people, but to people who live in a small remote island all their lives, this is a major turning point. To ASPA and the Solar City company, thank you very much for always caring and thinking about Ta’u.”
I am not only grateful, but I feel like Ta’u Manu’a is a very lucky island. From now on, the future of Ta’u Manu’a’s energy is shining as bright as ever. From good people sprout good hearts to provide this project for our people. As a matter of fact, this is one of the first such projects in the Pacific.
TA’U MANU’A IS CALLED THE “ISLAND IN THE SUN”, BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY USING THE SUN TO POWER OUR ISLAND, AND IT’S A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCH A SMALL PLACE TO HAVE.