Feasibility of Using Solar Energy as a Source of Renewable Energy in Mauritius Under Collaboration of DIREKT

Abstract

With limited indigenous conventional energy resources, Mauritius imports over 80 % of its energy supply from foreign countries, mostly from the Middle East. Developing independent renewable energy resources is thus of priority concern for the Mauritian government. Mauritius, being a tropical island surrounded by the Indian Ocean has enormous potential to develop various renewable energies, such as solar, biomass, wind power and geothermal energy. In order to reduce external dependency of fuel the Mauritian Government introduced attractive policies and invited investors of the homeland and abroad to invest in renewable energy technologies. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of implementing solar photovoltaic panels at institutional and organizational level and determine its economical feasibility. The study also consisted of determining the extent to which Mauritians are ready to accept such technologies. A research was thus carried out in collaboration with DIREKT and was found that Mauritians are eager to accept and invest in the solar photovoltaic technology provided that they are given sufficient information on how the system works. Moreover, the economic evaluation for the implementation of the photovoltaic technology revealed that the payback period for such technologies will be around 4.3 years which is very much acceptable.