Samoa Solar Powered Community Center

Bridging the digital divide and driving environmentally-conscious computing, VIA cooperated with Motech Industries and the Samoan ICT Secretariat and installed solar powered PCs and IT infrastructure in the Samoan village of Ulutogia in the Aleipata district. The complete infrastructure included three VIA pc-1 Power Saving PCs, one VIA pc-1 Server, a combo fax/scanner/copier/printer, a 175 Watt photovoltaic solar panel with two deep-cycle batteries.

This VIA pc-1 Solar Powered Information Community Center provides the Samoans with e-Education, e-Health and E-Governance opportunities through the availability of appropriate ICTs. The local community and also visitors can access the Internet, gain information, communicate online and leverage potential business opportunities.

Through this project, VIA has established itself as a leader in the design of sustainable ICT solutions and the set-up of a community center that provides appropriate and cost-effective technologies to rural and remote locations. VIA pc-1 has effectively addressed the challenges of inefficient and costly power supply by maximizing the use of natural sun-energy as a primary power source.

• For more information, please visit
  http://www.viapc-1.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=444&Itemid=2
• From Pacific Paradise to E-Governance Savvy
  An interesting article by Zenda Nel on how VIA empowered a Samoan village with ICTs through solar power.
• Press Release
  VIA Opens First Solar Powered Information Community Centre in the South Pacific