Also available for download in Science Direct (open access).
Title: Transition towards decarbonisation for islands: Development of an integrated energy planning platform and application
Language: English
Authors: AndrewBarney (*a), HeraclesPolatidis (*a), MarkoJelić (*b,c), NikolaTomasević (*b), Gobind Pillai (*d), DiasHaralambopoulos (*e)
*a: Uppsala University, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Cramérgatan 3, 621 57 Visby, Sweden
*b: School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
*c: Institute Mihajlo Pupin, University of Belgrade, Volgina 15, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
*d: School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley TS1 3BX, UK
*e: University of the Aegean, Dept. of Environment, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece
Abstract: This paper presents REACT-DECARB, an energy planning decarbonisation platform employing renewable energy sources coupled with storage for islands. The paper implements the energy scenario creation and economic evaluation steps of the platform on eight geographic islands in seven countries within the EU. Twenty-one technologically feasible energy scenarios, applicable to the specific conditions of each island, are specified and their economic assessment via a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculation is then performed. The main aim of this application is to verify the noted steps of the platform as well as to test its flexibility across geographically, socially and dimensionally disparate islands with various scenario generation methods. The results of the economic analysis show a wide variation of LCOE depending primarily on whether full island autonomy is assumed. In some cases the islands’ scenarios’ costs approach current market prices but are never below them; some scenarios are, however, below the current price of the island’s thermal generation. The sensitivity and uncertainty of the economic performance results’ and the variables used to calculate them are evaluated and discussed for two of the islands. The overall analysis and application has shown that the REACT-DECARB platform is suitable for different islands, regardless of location and size and can be useful for island energy planners.
