As the world shifts towards a more sustainable supply, many private islands are becoming increasingly reliant on renewable energy for both power generation and water treatment. But implementing the technology is not easy. The challenges include determining the best combination of technologies to provide a cost-effective, reliable and climate friendly supply; securing long-term, stable funding to finance investment in renewable energy; and working out how to seamlessly integrate their new supply into decades old island infrastructure.
A typical power system on a private island will have solar, wind and generator energy sources. In some cases, such as Little Hall’s Pond Cay (owned by Johnny Depp), the entire island is powered entirely by solar. Solar energy systems consist of an array of flat panels, also known as photovoltaic cells, that capture a percentage (5-15%) of the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. This is stored in batteries and a back-up power source such as a generator takes over when the battery charge drops to a critical level.
Wind energy is also a popular option. Whether it is the small turbines used to power an iPod or larger ones that can provide much of the energy for a luxury resort, this renewable resource has significant potential on islands. However, it must be paired with a backup source like a generator since it is not always windy.
Kamen’s approach, which he refers to as “intelligent integration,” is to design an intelligent system that knows, down to the individual light bulb or solar panel, how much energy each is using and producing in real time. This information is communicated to a control center in his basement, which negotiates the relationship between the different energy sources to meet the island’s ever-changing needs.
After examining several storage options, including lithium-ion batteries, RECO settled on supercapacitors designed by Kilowatt Labs, an innovative New York-based power management company. The supercapacitors are designed to store and release energy very quickly and do not degrade over time like conventional batteries.
Once the island’s new power system is fully up and running, GEMS will manage all of its 10MW of batteries, the existing 7MW solar park on the south side of the island as well as its propane engines. When the new solar park on the north side of the island is completed, it too will be integrated into GEMS’ portfolio.
RECO’s solution demonstrates that combining smart energy storage and integration with the use of flexible power generation solutions, can help to speed up the move to renewable energy on islands. In addition, it has been carefully engineered to minimize the impact on the beautiful natural environment of the island. All of the cables, including those from the grid and the batteries are buried underground and there is no visible equipment above ground except for the generators and the control building. This ensures that the island’s guests can continue to enjoy their paradise without interruption and without compromising on the environmental integrity of the natural beauty.