Renewable energy

RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICITY IN ISLANDS –
Combining institutional and scientific tools
Evanthie MICHALENA
Special Advisor in the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Athens, Greece
Phd Cand., Sorbonne University, Paris, France



1. INTRODUCTION
Recent evolutions related to renewable energy technologies (RETs), made us consider the issue of their penetration into landscapes and local physiognomy of specific areas. We have been interested in questioning this issue for insular spaces and more particularly in the case of Hellenic islands. We concluded that if small and well planned and if adjusted at local geographical scale, the equipments of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), could even contribute at the update of the physiognomy of a micro-scale space (like the one of islands). This fact together with national and European funding incentives, make these technologies an attractive solution for an autonomous energy feeding combined with a preservation of local landscape particularities. Local abundant natural energy sources (such as sun, wind and see), as well as specific needs related to tourism development and to the need for regional economic development, further encourage this thought. Through a suitable Hellenic Plan for RETs planning (expected to be institutionalized in September 2008-) RETs could answer to the need for a local sustainable development with respect to the preservation of the physiognomy’s identity of our islands. The concept of “carrying capacity” is included in this Plan but its need is not scientifically justified. We therefore discuss here the idea of the synergy between institutional and scientific tools towards the optimal integration of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in insular areas. At least for Greece, time for experimentation is limited and therefore such a combination is more than necessary.

2. COMBINING TOOLS FOR A SUCCESSFUL RETs PLANNING
The exploitation of renewable energy sources is a result of international (Protocol of Kyoto) and European decisions which set obligatory targets for the introduction of renewable energy sources into the energy mix of each Member State of the European Union, until 2020. The overall goal of the European Union is 20% by renewable energy sources in the European energy mix until the year 2020.

Islands concern the 4% of the European land and only the 13 million of European citizens. Greek islands are active paths between the Middle East and the Europe, rich in energy natural resources and characterized by a variety of geo-morphological particularities, fragile ecosystems and special cultural elements. They are usually located at a distance from the mainland with a weak degree of accessibility. At the same time, peripheries where Hellenic islands belong present more and more increased rates of economic development and energy demands. Especially during summer months and because of increased tourist traffic, the demand for energy is vertically increasing (almost 45%) [PARASKEVOPOULOS, 2004] having as a result major problems of electricity inadequacies. Islands are also characterized by a bunch of energy particularities (such as deficient electricity infrastructures, a dominance by the high-cost imported oil (as the main fuel for their energy feeding), and peak electricity demands during tourist periods (usually June until September).

Islands present specific features in their economic and social development as well: because of their small dimensions and their relatively restricted communication with Mainland, they create economies with some degree of autonomy. Nevertheless, an improvement of their communication has been noted due to their tourism activity: the wonderful climate and the cultural heritage of Mediterranean countries, have established Mediterranean islands as significant pole of tourist attraction, carrying the 30% of the international tourism [DASCALAKI and BALARAS, 2004] , whereas the 113,000 inhabitants of Cycladic islands multiply by five every summer [ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE, 2002]. The most wide-spread form of tourism in these islands is “mass tourism” which results in the massive construction of hotel, transport and other infrastructures.

The need to face problems generated by mass tourism, combined with the challenge of competitiveness and environmental worries, offer a marvellous opportunity for the promotion of effective energy politics, the exploitation of renewable energy sources and the reasonable usage of energy (especially in the hotel sector) and turn islands to be the perfect experimentation sites for the integration of renewable energy equipments and infrastructures and the attending –under specific conditions- of a local “sustainable development”.

The principle of “sustainable development” were introduced almost 20 years ago at an international level and concern the economic, social and environmental development of an area aiming at “meet the present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" [UNITED NATIONS, 1987]. In line with sustainable development principles and specific local and energy characteristics of insular areas, renewable energy development is of an essential priority due to both their economic and social benefits for regional economies, as well as due to their environmental nature: At a social level, the development of pure energy projects results in the cultivation of a feeling of environmental responsibility and, the most important, in the assurance of labour posts and the enriching the local community funds. The usage of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is also advisable for technical reasons, since cost of electricity production in islands is very high due to the high cost of the oil imported from Mainland [NTUA, 2001]. Moreover, most of the islands are not connected to the grid of Mainland and this facilitates more RETs penetration since some of them (i.e. small wind generators and solar systems) can provide electricity in an stand-alone way and also offer the potential of extension in line with the energy needs arisen. The possibility of storing the produced energy (through some battery) could be used for dealing with the instable character of wind energy (which depends on the existence and the power of wind velocities). Finally, RETs aim to cover dispersed energy applications (agricultural, hothouses, hotels, units of desalination, etc). RETs are also preferred for aesthetic reasons, in order to avoid the negative phenomena of diesel machines (smokes, chimneys, etc) and for reasons of harmonisation (through a good planning) with the existing, local, natural particularities.

These characteristics and benefits are essential for a country with a rich history in the use of natural energy resources (the first wind mill was designed in Greece at 343 before J.-C.!!) The first attempt for electricity production by wind energy (through a wind generator) being noted down in the beginning of ‘80s, Hellenic laws 2773/99 (following the Community Directive 96/92/EC), 3175/2003 (following the Community Directive 2003/54/EC) and 3486/2006 have structured the basic institutional framework where RETs projects authorization were based. In 2006, 335.68 GWh were produced in Crete (from wind, biomass and hydraulic energy), 24.1 GWh in Rhodes (from wind energy) and 139 GWh in other islands (from wind energy).
The potential is still large (especially as far as solar energy is concerned), but there are many obstacles which should be overcome, the most fundamental one being the lack of a Spatial Planning for RETs. Today a plan of RETs Planning has been announced by the Government and has been submitted for public consultation. The RETs Planning is expected to be institutionalized in September 2008 and includes norms and regulations concerning the criteria under which RETs should be installed in a given space.

Among these norms, an important criterion of planning RETs into a specific territory is the estimation of its “carrying capacity”. Whereas, in the plan, this estimation of “carrying capacity” embodies rather a “technical character”, for us the carrying capacity of islands should be measured at the basis of a material, psychological and ideological assessment. This means that RETs integration should be incorporated in the islander landscape in a contributing way to the cultural and esthetical conservation of islands features, elevating in parallel their characteristic physiognomy and their historical character. In this context, the concept of “currying capacity” concern the result and combination of various coordinates related to specific needs for the installation of energy equipments, their environmental charge and consequences, etc.
For example technical parameters, such as the credibility and the flexibility of the system, the time of construction, the need for auxiliary works and the restricted capabilities of connection to the network, impose the installation of small wind generators and photovoltaic systems, whereas the energy needs of the population are increased especially in tourist periods. Specific technical particularities of areas, such as the existent or potential natural energy sources, and the existing (or not) electricity transport network must be co-evaluated with technical parameters and/or comportment of RETs for the prioritization of RETs equipments and locations.

Moreover, as mentioned before, Hellenic islands are characterized by particular morphological and territorial features, rich biodiversity and ecosystems and rich cultural heritage. As far as energy equipments are concerned and in accordance with the existent decisions of the Supreme Administrative Courts of Greece, islands are accepting only a mild development(25) which indulge only as “mild energy system”, the system which consists of energy production by renewable energy sources (wind, solar etc). Still, for sensible ecosystems of this kind, the danger of optical disturbances that wind generators, for example, create is very important and needs a balance between RETs equipments forms and the landscape shape and features. The spatial plan for RET’s foresees special guidelines for areas under protection and NATURA 2000 areas, but still some other local prerequisites have to been taken into consideration when assessing local carrying capacity of a given area: The vertical feature of the wind generator for example could create an optical problem to the visitor; or (if well planned) could be so much harmonically integrated in the infertile and rocky territories of the Cycladic islands that could emphasize on their specific geo-morphologic landscape architecture. In order to obtain positive results and due to the fact that Hellenic islands present geo-morphological differences between them, we realize that the essential here is to conceive each island as a “unique case”, indicate differences and comparative advantages at a first step and then point out their particularities through RETs equipments. We could say that this is what happened in the old times, when windmills were used to point out the particularities of each Cycladic island.

The above mentioned approach shouldn’t neglect economic parameters, such as the cost of each RETs technology separately (of investment, of operation, of maintenance and of dismantlement), the return rate and the funding mechanisms which are available at a national and European level.

Local tourism development is an additional parameter which has to be co-evaluated, as well as predictions for future tourism development in a specific insular area.

In the final output we should also include the new technological discoveries and evolutions (for example as far as the wind generators nominal capacity is concerned) which are to come in a given time horizon. Possibilities of “synergies” between technologies (such as combinations of wind or hydraulic systems –hybrid systems) and the combined use of RETs for both electricity production and other applications (such as water desalination) should also be co-assessed.



3. CONCLUSION
By recapitulating the above analysis and resuming the necessary actions which are needed to be put in place for a successful RETs integration in the Hellenic islander territories, we conclude that:
Each island is different and areas of the same island are different between them (in terms of social capital, natural environmental and energy sources, economic development, etc.) Therefore, in order to conceptualize the ideal “energy system” of a specific area, energy planners should be in a position to understand its specific energy needs and then to assess its specific “currying capacity”. Especially as far as RETs implementation is concerned, planners should take into consideration a variety of parameters such as the economic return of each renewable energy technology, aesthetic parameters which lead at an harmonic integration of a RET in the landscape, technical parameters, data related to local economic activities (mainly tourism) and possibilities for national or European funding mechanisms. Some promotion of research and development at a local level would also be advisable.
An optimal assessment of local energy carrying capacity prior to RETs implementation, in combination with an official and institutionalized RETs planning, would activate third and local entrepreneurs towards investments on renewable energy, would secure the harmonious operation of RETs after their implementation, would protect local societies from unwanted actions, and would maximize benefits from renewable energy exploitation towards the satisfaction of local needs.

What is very true is that time for experimentations related to the implantation of innovative energy technologies into geographically restricted areas, is limited. In these cases, it seems that precaution is better than a bad planning and the combination between institutional tools and careful scientific studies prior to RETs installations are more than necessary towards the optimal exploitation of natural energy resources in Hellenic islander territories.




REFERENCES - BIBLIOGRAPHY
DASCALAKI, BALARAS, “Xenios – a methodology for assessing refurbishment scenarios and the potential of application of RES and RUE in hotels. Energy and Buildings 36 (2004) 1091 - 1105.

ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE Archipel Guadelupe “The introduction of Wind Power into insular electricity systems”, EuroCarribean RES Conference, 30th May 2002.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS (NTUA), Conference on «Renewable Energies for Islands – Towards 100% RES Supply», Chania, June 2001

PARASKEVOPOULOS, A. 2004, "Tehno-economical analysis of a hybrid Wind Reversible Hydroelectric System in Ikaria", Bulletin of the Hellenic Association of Qualified Mechanical engineers-electricians, Copy [370] September, p.49

UNITED NATIONS, 1987 "Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development."