Mauritius, a small island state in the Indian Ocean, faces major challenges regarding sustainable development, energy and food security. In a global context marked by climate change and the need for energy transition, the modalities of solar energy development are at the heart of Solar Center Mauritius’s mission, which carries a strong civilizational vision.
The Choice Between Rooftop Solar and Ground-Mounted Solar
This vision is part of a strategic reflection on the future of island states, but also defends an essential stance for the development of solar energy worldwide. An island state like Mauritius must reconcile several imperatives of national sovereignty, especially in the tense geopolitical context we are entering for the next 20 years: reducing dependence on food imports, ensuring energy transition, preserving natural resources, and guaranteeing sustainable economic development.
Mauritius currently has a high dependence on food imports. According to recent data, about 83% of the food consumed on the island is imported, which exposes the country to considerable vulnerability to international market fluctuations and geopolitical crises. This dependence was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and following supply disruptions related to the war in Ukraine, raising serious concerns about national food security.
Local agricultural production struggles to meet the population’s needs, despite efforts to promote self-sufficiency. The costs associated with production, transportation, and distribution remain high, but these factors alone do not explain the significant price increases for locally grown products.
That said, many solar farm projects are in the pipeline in Mauritius, awaiting permits, for a total of 320 MWh to date. A detailed analysis of these projects reveals that a total of 900 hectares of agricultural land would be used to install solar panels (representing 1.2% of total agricultural land).
Solar Center Mauritius strongly defends a radically opposite vision. Its leader considers it criminal to deprive an island of its agricultural land. An island is obviously territorially finite. He strongly asserts: “Land is meant for living or eating” and continues with this very didactic slogan: “A roof, a solar installation.”
The comparison between a 900-hectare solar farm and equivalent rooftop installations reveals significant differences in terms of technical feasibility, economic, environmental, and social impact. While the solar farm offers advantages in terms of economies of scale and ease of implementation, rooftop installations preserve agricultural land and better integrate into the local socio-economic fabric. Only rooftop solar can benefit everyone, in a citizen vision as always defended by Jeremy Rifkin, the famous American economist, notably in his book: “The Green New Deal.”
Solar Energy: A Diffuse and Free Energy That Should Benefit Everyone
The alternative put forward by Solar Center Mauritius is therefore the installation of rooftop panels. Solar energy is a diffuse, free energy that should not be concentrated like most other energies. In this case, any inhabitant anywhere in the world with a roof can generate electrical energy by installing solar panels. This is the future of the world, which will evolve towards the implementation of “smart grids,” controlled by the Internet of Things and creating vital spaces for mutual exchanges.
On the contrary, solar farms concentrate energy, which must then be redistributed. They accentuate the intermittent nature of solar energy, which is often criticized. In densely populated areas, it is essential not to behave as in desert areas.
Mauritius has 300,000 roofs to equip in residential areas and nearly 50,000 roofs in commercial areas. A study conducted by Solar Center Mauritius as part of the upcoming Mauritian budget vote shows that it is possible to install 100 MW per year on roofs, which would offset the local energy expenses (which are astronomical and in USD) while allowing residents to make substantial savings on their electricity bills. The interest for the population is evident, especially since the island has experienced rampant inflation since COVID.
It is important to consider that a solar installation is a financial investment with an internal rate of return of around 8% per year. The founder of Solar Center Mauritius emphasizes that: “Solar is not sold like a chicken leg or a pack of milk” (referring to the sales methods of his local competitors). “It is a return on investment that our clients should aim for, while also achieving progressive autonomy and defending Mauritius’s energy and food sovereignty.”
A Vision Aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
This vision of distributed solar energy that benefits residents and improves their financial resilience is aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Not only with Goal 13 to combat climate change but especially with the first two goals adopted by countries worldwide: Goal 1 to fight poverty and Goal 2 to fight hunger and promote sustainable agriculture.
The social dimension of rooftop solar panel installation is indeed evident. Not only does it allow each family with a roof to become an electricity producer, thus making a very profitable long-term investment, but it also facilitates sustainable agriculture by preserving and enhancing land.
In fact, preserving 900 hectares of agricultural land for food production can feed 100,000 people per year. Allocating 900 hectares to agriculture could significantly contribute to improving Mauritius’s food self-sufficiency. This area represents a considerable opportunity to develop diversified and resilient production in the face of climate hazards. Based on modern agricultural practices adapted to the Mauritian context, these 900 hectares could be optimally exploited by adopting a polyculture approach. By diversifying crops on these 900 hectares, Mauritius could significantly reduce its dependence on imports for several categories of food products. Polyculture would also allow more regular production throughout the year, thus limiting seasonal price fluctuations and improving the accessibility of fresh products for the population.
A Roof, a Photovoltaic Plant; a Photovoltaic Plant, Financing
Rooftop solar installations offer several specific advantages in the Mauritian context:
- Utilization of already built spaces: they allow the exploitation of already artificial surfaces (roofs of residential, commercial, industrial, and public buildings) without consuming additional agricultural land;
- Decentralized production: the distribution of installations across the territory allows electricity production close to consumption sites, thus reducing transport-related losses;
- Network resilience: a decentralized production network can offer better resilience to extreme climatic events, such as cyclones that regularly affect Mauritius;
- Self-consumption: Owners of equipped buildings can directly consume part of the electricity produced, reducing their dependence on the grid and potentially their electricity bills.
In Mauritius, the potential for rooftop solar installations is such that we can easily reach, even exceed, the 60% renewable energy target set by the government. It just needs to be desired.
The founder of Solar Center Mauritius insists on the social and political advantages of rooftop solar: “A roof, a solar power plant; the land is the heritage of Mauritians.” It is important to trust the nation and direct the benefits of sustainable development towards the people themselves. Sustainable development must be done for the people and with the people. Rooftop installations are generally better accepted by populations than large solar farms due to their landscape impact and conversion of agricultural land. They offer the possibility of direct citizen participation in the energy transition, strengthening their adherence to national climate goals. Moreover, decentralized installations can contribute to community resilience in the face of power outages, which is relevant in an island context exposed to cyclones.
But the issue of financing must also be addressed. If we advocate for decentralized solar energy, we must also consider the disparities between assets. Otherwise, some wealthy families could be eligible while the more modest ones would remain deprived. There is also a citizen vision to be favored. The question of financing must then be raised. How can we accept that the financing of major global donors is directed towards large-scale solar farms? Is it normal that the most modest populations cannot benefit from loans allowing them to improve their own sovereignty while contributing as a link in a chain to the implementation of future “smart grids”? To this last question, the leader of Solar Center Mauritius responds negatively: “In Mauritius, over 160 million dollars have just been injected for solar by the French Development Agency, and the people will not see a cent. The installations will only be large solar farms carried out by foreign groups, which is contrary to the general interest. It is abnormal, Mauritians will be disadvantaged.”
Conclusion
Solar Center Mauritius proposes a bold and innovative vision for the energy future of Mauritius. By prioritizing rooftop solar installations over ground-mounted solar farms, Solar Center Mauritius advocates an approach that preserves agricultural land, promotes food self-sufficiency, and supports sustainable development. This strategy not only reduces the island’s energy and food dependence but also allows citizens to actively participate in the energy transition, thus strengthening their financial resilience and autonomy.