There is very limited data on wind energy potential in Vanuatu. A Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat project monitored wind speeds at a site on Efate in the mid-1990s, finding average speeds of 5.0 m/s in 1995 and 4.2 m/s in 1996, well below the 6 m/s generally considered to be necessary for economic electricity production. However, only 63% of data was recovered in 1996, so these results should be treated with caution.
No accurate data are available on the Solomon Islands wind energy potential. Wind monitoring information can be sourced from:
Eight sites in Fiji have been collecting long-term wind data with mast heights varying from 10 to 48 metres (m). Ideal wind energy measurements are made at a minimum of 30 m, although 50 m is preferred. Future wind measurement installations are to be all at 50 m. So far, measurements near the grid indicate that Fiji’s wind speeds offer marginal benefits for energy generation compared to the FEA’s historical generation costs. Some sites should be cost-effective for wind power installations given the FEA’s marginal costs for investments in new diesel generators.
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s wind and solar monitoring project is the main long-term data source for Rarotonga wind energy and is used to estimate wind regimes of other islands. At Ngatangila Point, Rarotonga, wind data recovery was 100% during two years of monitoring. The annual average wind speed was 5.5 m/s. The highest hourly and daily averages were 17.7 m/s and 14.0 m/s respectively.