Energy information

Call Number
Sq 621.042 ENE
Created/Published
Noumea : South Pacific Commission, 1980-
Issue
No. 8 (July 1983)
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ENERGY INFORMATION  

Renewable Energies  

WHAT IS SOLAR “FARE”?  

July 1983  

No.  

THE SOLAR FARE  

“fare” is traditional Polynesian home.  

solar “fare” is the result of adapting renewable energy  

techniques to the habitat. The term “solar fare” will be used  

to designate completely self-contained house for which  

all the energy needed is supplied by the sun. Hot running  

water is supplied by solar-powered water-heater, and  

electricity by photocell modules.  

“solar fare” is tomorrow’s solution to autonomous  

energy supplies for homes on the Pacific atolls because it  

requires no external energy inputs.  

Solar "Fare"  

BIT OF TECHNOLOGY  

The solar-powered water-heater is now familiar and  

widely used appliance. It is simple to install and operate,  

and consequently it is proposed to describe only the  

electrical part of the “solar fare”.  

In “fare”, solar electricity generating plant includes  

the following  

1. Photocells, grouped into modules and installed on the  

ground or on the roof of the house. These modules  

convert sunlight directly into low-voltage direct current  

at 12 or 24 Volts.  

2. Batteries, whose role is to store the energy produced by  

the photocells and to give it up when required, thereby  

divorcing epnsumption from production.  

3. Energy utilizing appliances, namely the classic  

appliances to be found in most homes (lamps, TV,  

power tools, household appliances, etc.)  

4. The switchgear and control units.  

Schematic diagram of typical installation  

Document prepared by French Polynesia as part of the renewable energies programme being carried out by the Territory of French Polynesia, the  

French Atomic Energy Commission (C.E.A.) and the French Agency for Energy Management (A.F.M.E.).  

For further information please contact the Rural Technology Of ficer:  

South Pacific Commission, B.P. 5, NOUMEA CEDEX, New Caledonia.  

PHOTOCELLS  

For more details concerning the operation of photocells,  

see our description sheet entitled “Photocells”.  

In the case of “solar fare”, the photocells are often  

mounted on the roof so that they face northwards in the  

southern hemisphere.  

12-Volt direct current is delivered. This voltage can be  

increased by grouping the modules in series, but the most  

widely used voltages are 12 and 24 V.  

The basic module has peak power of 33 Watts.  

ENERGY STORAGE  

Photocells generate current only when exposed to  

sunlight; therefore, in order to enable this energy to be  

used at times when the sun is not shining, it has to be  

stored in batteries.  

“Stationary” batteries are used for the purpose because  

they deliver constant utilization voltage.  

During daylight hours, if all the energy being produced  

is not used immediately, the surplus will charge the  

batteries. Conversely, if the current demand is greater than  

Cite

Citation options:
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3547341233

APA citation

South Pacific Commission. (1980). Energy information Retrieved May 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3547341233

MLA citation

South Pacific Commission. Energy information Noumea: South Pacific Commission, 1980. Web. 31 May 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3547341233>

Harvard/Australian citation

South Pacific Commission. 1980, Energy information South Pacific Commission, Noumea viewed 31 May 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3547341233

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=South Pacific Commission.
  | title=Energy information.
  | year=1980
  | section=v. ; 30 cm.
  | language=engNSL
  | issue=No. 8 (July 1983)
  | location=Noumea
  | publisher=South Pacific Commission
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3547341233
  | id=nla.obj-3547341233
  | access-date=31 May 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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