heal.abstract |
Greece is characterized by a large number of remote islands. Many of them are faced with extreme water shortages, especially in the summer months. The solution provided by the government is tankers that carry water from the mainland, but at a very high cost which is around 10€/m3 . This approach, not only makes the island's water dependable, but also increases the overall municipal costs, and cuts the development of the primary sector. In addition, these remote islands are also depended on autonomous power stations to satisfy their energy needs. These autonomous systems usually consume conventional fuels, like diesel or mazut, which are harmful to the environment. Taking the above into consideration, it is clear that a new approach is needed to cover the water and energy needs. The use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) as part of a hybrid system is very intriguing, as the wind potential of these islands is quite high, and the energy provided by the RES combined with desalination methods is considered to be a more viable and affordable solution. The objective of this undergraduate thesis is to develop a model to simulate the operation of such a solution for the island of Amorgos and will be consisted of a hybrid system - including wind turbines and a hydropower plant –, and a desalination unit. In a second scenario, a brine processing unit will be added to the model to minimize the environmental impacts, with the possibility of financial exploitation of the produced brine also being explored. |
en |