Island Power
Policy & Regulatory Approaches to Small Islands: EU Again, like conventional plant, renewable
energy can require significant amounts of land. More than anywhere else, islands need energy generation that maximises the megawatt hours produced per square meter. But the most efficient wind turbines have 100-metre blades, for example, and require space equivalent to the size of a football pitch to produce one megawatt of power. Opinion is divided on their aesthetic properties, but there is no denying that swooping through the air, those blades are extremely noisy – and thus cannot be situated close to major population centres. Then there is the issue of transport. The
old cities and picturesque lanes so beloved of meandering tourists are less suited to the transportation of large pieces of machinery. A well-established road and transport infrastructure is essential. Where the climate is appropriate, photovoltaic
“We need a dialogue with island politicians, regulators, but especially with EU policy makers, because so far, the EU has not been aware of the specific challenges of islands nor of the opportunities they offer”, Hans ten Berge, Secretary General of EURELECTRIC told delegates at the 3rd
EURELECTRIC Network of Small Island
Systems (NESIS) conference: Towards a Sustainable Energy Future for Island Energy Systems? which concluded that small island communities are faced with specific needs and challenges in the energy sector. Policy approaches and regulatory models from the mainland do not necessarily fit their situation. Therefore, policy makers need to collaborate with local authorities to work for the benefit of the islands. However, islands do not only offer challenges to policymakers but also solutions. Islands make ideal locations for testing out energy technologies on a small scale with limited risk, and could therefore be used as blueprint for innovation elsewhere – excellent places to test out different designs and models in technology and regulatory frameworks. This might be especially so in the case of smart grids and Renewable Energy Sources (RES). These specific challenges of islands’ energy systems are related to their
remoteness and a lack of interconnection. They depend mainly on oil and while facing high operating costs, often lack finance for new capital investments. Therefore, islands need a specific policy approach and market model, differing from those designed for the mainland taking into account their special needs. Economic and environmental sustainability particularly should be the focus, as islands utilities work hard to reduce CO2
emissions. EURELECTRIC believes
solar cells may provide the answer. With fewer moving parts they are less susceptible to mechanical failure than wind – although the maintenance and support requirements can still be considerable. And since smaller installations do not compromise on efficiency in the same way that wind plant does, the logistics of PV are much simpler. But again we come back to the issue of energy output. Even in roof-top panels, or one off installations, the output is often sub-optimal. This is where concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) comes in. Like PV, CPV transforms sunlight into usable energy. But its
that RES can help to achieve this goal and benefit the islands, as in general, islands possess rich RES resources. On the one hand, serving as a living laboratory will bring islands the
technology which in the long-run will lower their energy costs. On the other, for financing companies and governments utilising islands as testing fields will prove advantageous because they can test out technologies on a small scale and can thereby reduce the risks. If successful, trialled technologies can then be used elsewhere and upscaled to mainland applications. To this end, EURELECTRIC’s NESIS group of island experts proposes a new benchmarking report (to be released in late 2010) including data on CO2
and on
energy prices, in order to retrieve the data that is needed for the development of new projects. Furthermore, NESIS will look at projects where islands themselves could take the lead.
solar cells are of a more advanced design and have a higher yield than conventional silicon PV cells. What’s more, a solar tracker and magnifying optics enable a CPV system to magnify the sun’s power and extract maximum wattage throughout the day. Once installed it can also be a fairly straightforward mechanical proposition – anyone who can fix a car can fix a CPV system. As a result, the returns – both in terms of finance and energy – can be considerable. Of course, like all other forms of renewable energy, CPV
Islands make ideal locations for
irradiance – the world’s sunbelt. In areas more prone to cloud or with more oblique rays from the sun, then standard PV may produce better results. But the principal behind CPV is
testing out energy technologies on a small scale with limited risk
sound, and there are numerous island environments that could benefit from it. More efficient, more effective, and more powerful than standard PV and wind, it enables
appropriately-placed islands to make the most of their limited space to produce the power they need. ■
isn’t appropriate for every circumstance. It may need to complement wind or marine technologies rather than replace them. It also works best in areas of high direct solar
worldPower 2010
Dr. Keith Bowen is a non-executive director and acting Director of Engineering with Circadian Solar – a leading developer of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology.
www.circadiansolar.com
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