IRENA has developed the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative to support the strategic deployment of renewable energy in SIDS, to bring clarity to policy makers regarding the required steps, and to enable targeted action. As a joint effort of SIDS and development partners, this framework for action will assist in transforming SIDS energy systems through the establishment of the enabling conditions for a renewable energy-based future, by moving away from developing projects in isolation to a holistic approach that considers all relevant elements spanning from policy and market frameworks, through technology options to capacity building.The Lighthouses Initiative has five main objectives:1. Develop and implement a structured approach to island power sector transitions to high shares of renewable energy through a set of guidelines, tools and support mechanisms, thus enabling more efficient use of resources2. Accelerate renewable energy transitions through identification of needs and gaps, and learning from experiences on other islands. 3. Strengthen knowledge base and building of institutional capacity that can handle a rapid and profound transition4. Facilitate development of enabling frameworks for investment5. Identify funding opportunities and facilitate matchmaking between project developers and funding organizations

Despite recent targeted action, many islands face continued barriers throughout different stages of project development. For example, increased island investment has meant that many islands are in a situation of project overload, creating a need for islands to focus resources on electricity system design and integration before pursuing new projects. Lighthouses help islands assess and address these issues to enable stronger, sustainable development and smart integration of renewables.SIDS Lighthouses will work with partners to apply all operational steps and develop a comprehensive overview of SIDS power sector knowledge, best practice and transformation issues. With partner support, this overview will start to bridge the gap between studies and projects on the ground through innovative deployment mechanisms.Immediate next steps for 2015:- Broaden involvement and expand partnerships- Operationalize Lighthouses in terms of capacity, information and planning, e.g., through quickscans that capture available, necessary information and identify gaps- Intensify the focus and efforts on practical applications and measurable impacts on the road to COP21 in Paris

- Renewables Readiness Assessments and roadmaps for islands. Achievements to date:o Five island Renewables Readiness Assessments completed, for Kiribati, Grenada, Fiji, RMI, Vanuatu.o Roadmaps completed for Nauru, Maldives; starting for Barbados and Kiribatio Quickscan completed for Mauritius, Bahamas, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, and ten additional ones in progresso Roadmap deployment work started in Cabo Verde and Vanuatu- Knowledge and Best Practice Exchange: GREIN. Achievements to date:o A workshop on renewable energy for islands is planned in Martinique, 22-24 June 2015, in cooperation with the Government of Franceo A follow-up workshop is planned to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 4-6 weeks after Martinique, to progress the action agenda towards COP21, supported by the Government of Japan.o Knowledge sharing is ongoing in the six focus areas of the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network (GREIN) related to renewable energy for islands: roadmaps, grid integration, tourism, resource assessment, desalination and waste-to-energy.o Tourism partnership dialogue at the ITB in Berlin, 4 March 2015, following up from the two-days event in Cyprus in May 2014- Technical and economic feasibility studies. Achievements to date:o Grid stability studies completed in Palau; ongoing in Antigua and Barbuda, Cook Islands, Samoa, Kiribati and Barbadoso Tariff study completed for Tonga- Enabling frameworks for investment and partnerships. Achievements to date:o Navigator project development workshop held in Cabo Verdeo Development of tools and instruments for project development in cooperation with SIDS and the Government of Germanyo To date, four SIDS projects have been selected for funding through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development for a total budget of USD 43 million (Maldives and Samoa in the first funding cycle, Cuba and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the second).

Lighthouses is facilitated and supported by IRENA Secretariat with a system of focal points.

Antigua and Barbuda, Mauritius, Bahamas, Nauru, Barbados, Palau, Cabo Verde, Samoa, Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cook Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiji, Seychelles, Grenada, Solomon Islands, Guyana, Tonga, Kiribati, Trinidad and Tobago, Maldives, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, ENEL, New Zealand, European Union, Norway, France, SE4ALL, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Indian Ocean Commission, United States of America, IRENA, UNDP, Japan, World Bank Group