Da Tay island - solar panels on rooftops

"On the island, there are two sources of clean energy - wind and solar energy. This energy powers TVs and cooling fans," said an islander.

"The supply of clean energy enables us to have power for Tet and for the leisure activities of local islanders and soldiers,' shared a local.

The soldiers and islanders of Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province, are happy about the improvement of their living conditions the new sources of energy have brought.

The islands in the Truong Sa archipelago used to use oil-powered generators to produce all their electricity. That was costly and unstable and polluted the environment. For those reasons, it was only used for a few hours in the evening or when absolutely necessary.

Wind turbines on Truong Sa islands

During the last ten years, wind and solar systems have been installed in the archipelago and steadily upgraded. Senior Lieutenant Duong Tuan Hai is in charge of the power on Da Dong A island.

He said: "The renewable power sources are strong and stable. The wind and solar systems have a designed capacity of generating 25 kw per hour. We can store the extra power for three days without recharging. We only use 5 kw a day."

Though the new renewable power systems are difficult to maintain, the soldiers in charge of them are working hard to ensure abundant power for the islands.