Power-Blox – Nano-grid Approach for Disaster Resilience & Productive Use (Vanuatu)

The Power-Blox project in Vanuatu utilizes a decentralized, self-regulating nano-grid system to overcome the high costs and fragility of traditional mini-grids. By deploying modular solar battery cubes, the project provides electricity to households and critical infrastructure on Lelepa Island, utilizing a prepaid business model operated primarily by women. The initiative aims to scale across 60 islands to support productive uses in fishing and tourism while reducing CO2 emissions.

• Power-Blox utilizes a decentralized 'internet of energy' technology based on swarm intelligence and algorithms that allow different energy sources and battery systems to be combined without centralized control or manual configuration.
• The nano-grid approach addresses Vanuatu's specific challenges of high mini-grid costs, remote geography, and climate-driven storm risks that deter investors due to fears of total infrastructure failure.
• The pilot project on Lelepa Island electrified 140 households (approximately 500 people), a school, a shop, two churches, and a health care facility. Future phases aim to reach 17,785 households and 90,000 people, including 44,237 women.
• The project employs a prepaid electricity model where local sales agents, primarily women, manage the infrastructure and sell four different prepaid packages via smart meters.
• Full rollout across 60 islands is expected to reduce CO2e emissions by approximately 25,000 metric tonnes annually and generate 250 new indirect jobs in sectors such as fishing, poultry farming, fruit processing, and tourism, yielding USD 2.68 million in annual income.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (2023). Power-Blox – Nano-grid Approach for Disaster Resilience & Productive Use (Vanuatu). https://renewelec.org/case-study/power-blox-nano-grid-approach-disaster-resilience-productive-use-vanuatu/

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. Power-Blox – Nano-grid Approach for Disaster Resilience & Productive Use (Vanuatu). 2023. https://renewelec.org/case-study/power-blox-nano-grid-approach-disaster-resilience-productive-use-vanuatu/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=Power-Blox – Nano-grid Approach for Disaster Resilience & Productive Use (Vanuatu) |date=19 January 2023 |url=https://renewelec.org/case-study/power-blox-nano-grid-approach-disaster-resilience-productive-use-vanuatu/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrification2023powerblox, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{Power-Blox – Nano-grid Approach for Disaster Resilience \& Productive Use (Vanuatu)}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://renewelec.org/case-study/power-blox-nano-grid-approach-disaster-resilience-productive-use-vanuatu/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }