With the ongoing threat of climate change, a small Greek island decided to ditch all conventional power sources and instead harness the power of wind and the sun. The Greek island of Tilos is slated to run exclusively on solar and wind power, an incredibly first feat for the Mediterranean island.
Tilos is considered as a Cycladic island. The residents, businesses, and local government have had several blackouts in the past. Something that has severely hampered the island's progress.
The island has a population of just 400 people. However, this figure explodes to more than 4,000 during the peak stretches of the tourist season. This sudden influx of people puts a strain on the island's energy resources.
In order to address this, the local government and the European Union established a project that will ultimately turn all conventional power resources to renewable power sources. The people behind this noble project eventually settles with wind and solar power.
The European Commission said that the island of Tilos will be the first autonomous Mediterranean island that is fully powered by renewable power sources. Moreover, the commission added that the Tilos project will serve as a blueprint for other islands scattered across the European Union that are currently experiencing power source problems. The European Union is among the largest backer of the project providing $12.5 million of the total $15.7 million undertaking.
In a statement, project manager Spyros Aliferes said that the most important innovation that drives the project lies in the batteries. The project has created a battery storage system that improves micro-grid energy management as well as grid stability. This significantly increases the use of renewable energy and also provides additional services to the main grid.
The battery storage system, as the name implies, stores power during very windy and sunny weather conditions. The power stored is then released during peak hours when there is heavy demand for electricity and when there is low energy production.
The project is named TILOS, after the island's original name. It stands for Technology Innovation for the Local Scale Optimum Integration of Battery Energy Storage.
Tilos can be reached by a 14-hour ferry ride from the Greek mainland. While it is considered as a quiet tourist spot, the island receives an average of 13,000 visitors annually. It is widely regarded as a green island. Among the popular tourist spots include hiking spots and bird watching spots.
