BUILDING A RESILIENT ENERGY SYSTEM IN TILOS, GREECE
Greece, Insular area, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Energy Storage Solutions, Smart Grid & V2G
Overview
To support long-term energy planning in insular areas, an analysis was conducted for the Municipality of Tilos, considering local renewable energy (RES) potential, demographic trends, and environmental protection. Special challenge for this area is its relative isolation from the power grid (relying only on the neighbouring island equipped with a diesel generator). Three energy scenarios were evaluated: LowRES (business-as-usual approach), RES (moderate renewable integration), and HighRES (full renewable transition). The results indicate that Tilos has significant potential for solar and wind energy generation, with battery storage systems playing a crucial role in balancing the grid. The HighRES scenario demonstrates that an almost fully renewable energy system is feasible, with 87% autonomy, through a strong municipal support and strategic investments.To achieve this, the municipality could facilitate the expansion of smart grid infrastructure, prioritizing solar Photovoltaic (PV) and wind power installations. Public buildings should lead by adopting energy-efficient solutions and integrating battery storage. Encouraging residential PV adoption, investing in electric mobility, and implementing public awareness campaigns on smart energy use will further support a sustainable energy transition.
a)
b)
Figure 1 Monthly representation of technologies contributing to the power supply in a) RES and b) HighRES scenario, with Power Plant (PP) import representing the necessary additional energy that would be imported from neighbouring island, and is produced by a PP running on diesel
Socio-Economic Feasibility Analysis
Investment in power generation and storage technologies was assessed. The HighRES scenario did not have a significantly higher cost than the RES scenario (due to different generation and storage technologies being considered), but it would enable a faster decarbonization timeline with several local jobs needed to achieve the projected configuration of the system. Additionally, it was determined that public-private partnerships can accelerate the adoption of RES technologies as well as that implementation of battery storage enhances grid stability, reducing the need for additional fossil fuel-based backup. Local jobs would remain also in the following 20 years, but in more modest numbers. Additionally, it was determined that public-private partnerships can accelerate the adoption of RES technologies as well as that implementation of battery storage enhances grid stability, reducing the need for additional fossil fuel-based backup.
Macro objective:
- Demonstrate the feasible integrated energy system for an insular community, based on locally available renewable energy sources
Specific objectives:
- Use locally available renewable energy
- Decarbonize sectors of energy demand
- Provide socio-economically sound options for the development of an island community
Impacts that could be achieved by 2030:
- CO2 emissions reduced by 2 kt per year, due to increased RES adoption
- New RES installations: 1 MW Solar PV, 810 kW wind power, 2.88 MWh battery storage
- Local employment benefits: 30 short term and up to 2 long term sustainable jobs in RES installation and maintenance
Read more here.
Contact
Antun Pfeifer
Technical transferring partner in the PRISMI PLUS project
