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Solar Photovoltaic Programme Implementers in the Asia-Pacific Region
required is to take a closer look at some of the more successful organisations and has been reported to have met with limited
programmes and to understand which factors have been most success. Regarding the question of why this old approach (rather
instrumental in contributing to their success, whether these new, than a market-based approach) was employed, the survey results
market-based and more successful programmes have any of their own revealed that there was not one but several reasons. At a policy level,
inherent weaknesses and, if so, how these could be remedied. the Fijian SHS programme is implemented within the context of a
uniform electricity tariff policy. Such policies have been adopted by
The starting position of these lines of enquiry should be as follows: many governments over the past 100 years, and many governments,
the fact that there are differences in the relative success of SHS including state governments in Australia, continue to implement
programmes is not unexpected. Planning, designing, implementing them. Therefore, the question is not whether a uniform tariff policy
and monitoring SHS programmes are complex tasks that require is appropriate, but how it will be funded and what the implications
significant resources, including management resources. On top of are for an SHS programme. In the case of the Fijian SHS programme,
this, the very significant differences in the contexts in which these it places severe constraints on funding, which, in turn, has major
programmes are being developed and implemented rule out a one-
size-fits-all solution. These differences include the variability in the
renewable energy resources that are available, the remoteness of
Planning, designing,
communities and the numbers of those without access to electricity.
implementing and monitoring
These factors dictate the unit costs and the potential scale of an SHS
solar home system programmes
programme. Then there are differences in the capacity of local
businesses to participate by manufacturing SHS components, are complex tasks that require
installing and maintaining systems and offering finance.
significant resources.
Superimposed over these are also differences in the capacity or
willingness of governments and donor organisations to provide
funding and in government policies and policy priorities. Finally, effects on the programme and its capacity to be expanded. This
there are major cultural differences that can have a decisive bearing policy also has a flow-on effect into the institutional, administrative
on how programmes are designed and implemented. and other spheres, as this objective is achieved by the government
retaining ownership of the SHS and users paying a monthly fee for
A research project was used to investigate the views of SHS the system.
programme implementers based on the two lines of enquiry
described above. The research project focused on SHS currently The survey revealed several other important factors that had an
being implemented in the Asia-Pacific region and included several influence on the nature and the success of the programme. A policy
components. The first component involved a small email survey of of not offering differentiated levels of government service based on
programme implementers in the region.
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The most important and the different abilities to pay of users, for example, is the reason that
surprising finding from this survey was that the majority of only one system is offered, and this has an impact on user satisfaction
programme implementers either had no knowledge of the best levels. However, the most significant finding from the survey was that
practice guidelines or, if they did, chose not to rely on them in a cultural factor has perhaps had the greatest influence in determining
designing, planning and implementing their programmes or to use the nature of the SHS programme in Fiji. Most of those surveyed living
the experience gained by others who had implemented earlier in rural communities in Fiji reported using the electric lighting supplied
programmes. The reasons for this lack of knowledge about and lack by their SHS to increase hours engaged in social activities and leisure
of willingness to rely on these guidelines needs to be investigated rather than to increase the number of working hours or income. This
urgently, but this finding suggested that there perhaps exists a preference virtually precludes the use of a market-based approach
serious lack of management capacity and experience in this field. that requires loans to be repaid, which generally requires the SHS to
be used to generate additional income. Other reasons for the use of a
A second important finding from the study was that programme non-market-based approach were found to include a lack of any
objectives are often defined very broadly, i.e. ‘provide those living in significant economy of scale, a thin market for SHS that is difficult to
households in rural areas with electricity’. Such broadly defined serve and a lack of capacity within the local business sector to provide
objectives mean that they are readily met but that there is a lack of a comprehensive ResCo-type service (supply, install and maintain). This
criteria that can be readily used to gauge how well they are met and, lack of economy of scale creates a chicken and egg problem, in that
therefore, the success of the programme. The use of a more local businesses are reluctant to invest in training staff to undertake
structured approach, such as a logical framework analysis method these activities as the market and therefore the potential profit is too
with more specific goals, activities outputs and indicators, would small to justify the effort. However, despite these constraints, the
enable programme implementers to better assess and report on the survey found that the programme outcomes could be improved at a
success of their programmes. relatively low additional cost by making a number of changes,
including training users to undertake basic maintenance of their SHS,
The second component of the research study involved a increasing the monthly fee to mirror the increases in kerosene and
comprehensive field survey of programme implementers associated petrol process and improving the fee collection system.
with SHS being implemented in Fiji. The reason for selecting Fiji was
that it represents an example of an older style of programme as it The third component of the research study involved a second
relies heavily on ongoing subsidies from government and donor comprehensive field survey of programme implementers associated
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