Chapter 24 - Renewables Integration on Islands

Abstract

Islands have been planning and implementing ways to integrate high penetration levels of renewable energy sources (RES) with some exceeding 50%, a penetration level higher than most interconnected systems in the world. This chapter discusses the challenges of integrating intermittent RES, such as wind and solar resources, on island systems. Technical challenges range from long-term planning to short-term operations and require island system operators to meld all existing technologies in addition to exploring further innovative technology options. The financial limitations, i.e., the typically small scale of the economy and the business environment of islands, often add further challenges that may typically not be considered in larger interconnected systems. To address these unique challenges, leading islands are developing a more holistic vision for accommodating larger amounts of RES at lower total system cost by coplanning the electricity sector with other sectors of the economy (such as electrification of heating and transport), effectively creating a microgrid. This paradigm is likely to become increasingly important given the global challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The solutions sought by islands cover a variety of issues considered as separate topics for interconnected grids, ranging from the smart grid, distributed energy resources, climate policy, and system resilience to storage technologies. Island systems are being the test bed for various innovative approaches that can potentially lead the future of large interconnected systems.