PV-based Integrated Energy and Water Demand Fulfillment Solution for Very Small Islands
Abstract
The current study investigates the prospects of integrated PV-based configurations, devoted to the coverage of both electricity and water needs, with the support also of dedicated water desalination plants. The proposed solution is evaluated in an area of great interest, i.e. the Aegean Archipelagos, focusing on the very small scale islands facing electricity supply and water shortage problems. Emphasis to that end is given on the analysis of both the energy and economic performance of such configurations, as compared to the current status of oil-based power generation and water transfers, challenged also by the scale of application itself. Results obtained to that end derive from the application of the solution to representative, very small scale islands of the Aegean Sea, covering a wide spectrum of island features, which is eventually found to further strengthen the argument on the general applicability and cost-efficient performance of the proposed solution.