Private Island Power Generation
The secluded, palm-lined beaches and dreamy isolation of private islands attract tourists who seek an escape from hectic modern life. But these enclaves are often cut off from the electricity grid, making it difficult to reliably supply energy to homes and resorts that depend on it. Enterprising island owners have been turning to renewable energy for a more sustainable, less expensive and cleaner way of providing their guests with the essentials they need.
Islanders can connect to the mainland through under sea medium voltage cables and step down transformers, but that option is usually cost prohibitive for smaller islands. For the most part, islanders generate their own energy by using a combination of wind and solar power and generators or diesel powered engines. This means they must also purchase expensive fossil fuels for backup, especially during times of low wind and solar output.
To reduce costs, the owners of Denis Private Island in the Seychelles chose to turn to photo-voltaic solar in partnership with German firm DHYBRID, which has already cut the island’s daily diesel consumption by 100 litres. This represents a significant saving, and lays the foundation for further reduction in the island’s reliance on fossil fuels and emissions as the project is expanded.
A key challenge facing islanders is how to store intermittently produced power for use during cloudy periods or at night. Initially, the team hoped to install lithium-ion batteries, but they proved to be too expensive for such a remote island.
Another issue is the cost of replacing ageing infrastructure, especially on small islands. While it is possible to replace the island’s aging diesel generators with new ones that run on biodiesel, the total cost would be over US$8 million, well beyond what the island can afford.
The solution is a hybrid energy system that uses battery storage to capture and harness the power of the sun and the wind for uninterruptible, clean, cost effective and low carbon generation. The system is capable of delivering more energy than the island needs, so surplus power is stored in a large battery for use at night or during cloudy days.
The innovative power system, which will be installed by RECO in 2017, is expected to reduce the island’s overall electricity bill by around 40 percent and will further cut CO2 emissions by an estimated 80 tonnes per year. As the world continues to move away from fossil fuels, the example set by islanders like those on Denis will play an important role in slashing carbon emissions and providing a safer, more reliable and affordable way of powering the future.