EnerSys® Teams Up with the Its Time Foundation to Bring Clean Electricity to Pacific Island Schools
At EnerSys, our reach is global and so is our aim to be an outstanding corporate citizen. We are proud to partner with and support organizations across the world that are working to solve critical issues that affect local communities.
One example is our partnership with the Its Time Foundation (Its Time), whose mission is to deliver renewable power solutions to remote Pacific Island schools, transforming educational outcomes while reducing carbon emissions.
Many Pacific Island schools struggle with limited or unreliable electricity supply and/or rely on outdated diesel generators they can only afford to run for a few hours per day. This makes it challenging to provide students with a modern education. With the support of its partners, Its Time provides clean, free electricity for lighting, computers and other electronics, drastically improving the educational prospects for students and creating safer and happier schools.
“EnerSys is proud to support this meaningful endeavor, explained Drew Zogby, President of EnerSys Energy Systems Global. “To date, EnerSys has supplied Its Time with three of our Outback PowerTM brand FLEXpower TWO FXRTM inverter/charger systems, one FLEXpower One FXRTM inverter/charger system and ten IBR integrated battery cabinets for outdoor off-grid, solar-generated power installations. These solar+battery systems provide reliable to power to sites that would have no access to electricity or have to depend on diesel/gas-powered generators which are less reliable and environmentally unfriendly.”
Rabi High School (Fiji) celebrating the opening of their new solar system.
The EnerSys-supplied equipment is being used to install new solar installations at schools in Fiji. Its Time founder Robert Edwards explained, “These solar systems are often the largest infrastructure project in the village since the school was built. Therefore we have an absolute commitment to quality and with the support of EnerSys and others we expect these systems will be giving kids the opportunity of a modern education for two to three decades.”
“Another added benefit of these installations,” noted Edwards, “is that the money saved on things like generator fuel can then be used to buy computers and other educational resources. Its Time calculates that, on average, every $1 invested liberates at least $4 over the next 30 years for educational purposes.”
Additionally, a number of past projects with lead-acid energy storage systems are coming to the end of their useful lives. In response, Its Time plans to install EnerSys 2-volt battery banks. As part of that process, the lead-acid from batteries will be safely dismantled and removed.
The Its Time Foundation solar installations also have further, indirect sustainability benefits for the local environment. When schools receive a solar system, they commit to having all students spend 20 minutes each week picking up plastics, and they encourage students to spend more time doing this on their own, creating cleaner and healthier learning environments and communities.
Lastly, while the schools are not major greenhouse gas emitters, the clean electricity installations help these communities take diesel generators offline and reduce their carbon footprints and particulate matter, thus improving the health of the planet as well as the health of students and teachers.
Students at Navakawau Primary School (Fiji) doing their weekly plastic pick up.
Opening of the Namamanuca Primary School solar system
Zogby noted, “EnerSys is always looking for these types of community partnerships that allow us to use our unique expertise and global reach to develop long-term, active collaborations that demonstrate what’s possible when we work closely with progressive organizations that make a real impact. We look forward to a continued partnership with the Its Time Foundation bringing affordable, clean and reliable energy to students and teachers across the Pacific Islands.”