Morere Village

For most Australians, reliable electricity is something we rarely think about. In Morere Village, a remote coastal community in Papua New Guinea, it simply didn't exist.

Like many remote communities across PNG, Morere had never been connected to the electricity grid. Families relied on limited and inconsistent energy sources that restricted everyday life, while businesses and community facilities had little opportunity to grow.

Future Value Global engaged Smart Commercial Energy Managing Director Huon Hoogesteger to help change that.

Working alongside partners from Future Value, Deionno Electrical and local villagers, Huon designed and installed an off-grid solar and battery microgrid that now delivers reliable renewable power to the community. More than simply providing electricity, the project establishes infrastructure designed to support the village well into the future.

THE CHALLENGE

This wasn't a project where extra materials could be ordered overnight or additional trades called in if something changed.

Everything needed to build the system had to be transported into an isolated village with limited infrastructure and no conventional construction support. Installation took place in temperatures approaching 40°C, with high humidity, salt air and the constant need to solve problems on site with whatever resources were available.

The system also needed to be simple, resilient and capable of operating reliably for years with only limited maintenance support.

THE SOLUTION

Drawing on decades of experience designing commercial renewable energy systems, Huon developed an off-grid microgrid tailored to the realities of Morere Village.

The completed system combines a 30kW solar array with a 48kWh modular battery energy storage system and a 30kW three-phase inverter, supplying renewable electricity to 20 households and shared community facilities.

The battery system uses Sigenergy's modular SigenStor platform, selected for its reliability in remote environments. Each battery module operates independently, allowing faults to be isolated without affecting the wider system—an important feature where ongoing maintenance can be challenging.

Installation was completed by Huon Hoogesteger alongside Joe Deionno, working shoulder to shoulder with local community members throughout the build.

Together, they constructed the village-wide electrical distribution network, connected every home with lighting and power, installed switchboards and protection systems, and helped establish the foundations for long-term operation.

Despite equipment delays, missing components and the inevitable surprises that come with remote projects, the system was successfully commissioned.

The impact was immediate.

"Most of the village didn't even go to sleep last night because they were so excited about having power on,” Selar recalled.

The system is now managed through a community cooperative, supported by Future Value Global's ongoing governance model to help ensure its long-term success.

Around 1.5 million households across Papua New Guinea still live without reliable electricity.

Projects like Morere Village demonstrate that with practical engineering, strong partnerships and a willingness to work in some of the world's most challenging environments, renewable energy can deliver lasting benefits to communities that traditional infrastructure may never reach.

For Huon, it was another reminder that some of the most rewarding engineering projects aren't measured by megawatts alone, but by the opportunities they create for the people who depend on them.