On the economics of stand-alone renewable hybrid power plants in remote regions

Abstract

In recent years ever more examples of regions that have managed to achieve or orientate themselves towards renewable energy sufficiency are emerging. However, actions to create energy autonomy are mainly the result of isolated activities and they are less driven from fully organized movements. In addition, total energy independence without the support of a centralized electrical grid is yet to be achieved. The objectives of this work are to investigate the associated costs of stand-alone renewable hybrid power plants and compare them to the cost of fossil-fuel-based conventional plants. The plants examined here are designed to fully cover the electricity needs of an island.Islands are remote areas with relatively isolated communities that may face numerous energy problems and rely heavily on foreign and environmentally-harmful fuels. It is shown that the relatively high cost of electricity of a remote region can increase the competitiveness and promote the wider incorporation of technologies based on renewable energy sources that may, in other cases, seem economically inferior to business-as-usual energy solutions.

The Social Perspective on the Renewable Energy Autonomy of Geographically Isolated Communities: Evidence from a Mediterranean Island

“…It has been shown that renewable-based projects are more likely to be economically viable in remote regions [2]. Public awareness and acceptance is a very important factor when the implementation of new policies is required in a society.…”

“…However, energy autonomy exclusively based on renewable energy sources (RES) is a developing idea that can result in a number of benefits [1]. Apart from boosting the local, and as a consequence the national, economy by creating jobs and increasing the penetration of RES in the national portfolio, renewable-based energy autonomy can decrease the environmental impact and economic expenditure of energy generation in remote regions [2,3]. Envisioned energy strategies must be based on social, political, environmental and economic considerations [4].…”

Economic and Environmental Considerations for Zero-emission Transport and Thermal Energy Generation on an Energy Autonomous Island

“…However, their relatively high costs and intermittent operation makes their applications more demanding and complex. Regions without easy access to fossil fuels due to their remote location or costly conversion processes can constitute good application cases for renewable systems (Petrakopoulou, 2016). This study examines the case study of Skyros, a non-interconnected island in the Aegean Sea in Greece (Petrakopoulou, 2015b).…”

Energetic Sustainability Using Renewable Energies in the Mediterranean Sea

“…In other countries, several studies have investigated the possibility of constructing small stand-alone electrical grids, powered only by renewable energy sources [6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…In other interesting study, Petrakopoulou [10] simulated a hybrid power plant to satisfy the electrical demand of Skyros, a small Greek island, located in the middle of Aegean Sea. The system proposed is composed by solar thermal and photovoltaic, hydroelectric generators and wind turbines.…”