Are island power systems underutilised?

As considered above, island power systems are typically characterised by a high ratio of total installed capacity over peak load and a low capacity factor as noted in Section 4.2. The consequence of this is a relatively underutilised generation system.

Should Islands be connected to mainland power systems?

At the cost of an often very significant capital investment, connecting islands to mainland power systems can significantly reduce the costs of electricity supply. Several techno-economic analyses have investigated relatively positive cases for interconnection, e.g. for several Greek islands and for Malta , .

Will near-mainland islands provide a significant export of RES-electricity?

Thus, in future, rather than importing electricity via interconnector, near-mainland islands may provide significant exports of RES-Electricity whilst accessing balancing power from the mainland, perhaps in combination with in-island generation and storage.

Why are the islands a challenge in the energy sector?

The islands represent an interesting dimension of European geography, and present a challenge in the energy sector. Most energy on islands is currently produced by diesel power generation, which is both costly, finite, and has relatively high carbon emissions. As a result, the situation will be forced to change in the medium term.

Are Islands a good location for new energy technologies?

However, islands are found to be excellent locations for pilot projects on new energy technologies due to their inherent advantages of small size and vertical integration of local power companies. Furthermore, strong communities imply that it is easier to engage with end consumers when promoting new concepts for electricity supply. 1. Introduction

What are some examples of large island power systems?

These islands have typical values for power systems running on diesel and heavy fuel oil. They compare quite well to similar large island systems, Malta being an example of a large island with a similar production mix. 4.4. Average disconnection time per customer