Creation of Small Rural Energy Communities in the Island of Crete, Greece. Are They Feasible?
Keywords:
CRETE, GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION, ENERGY COMMUNITIES, PROCUMERS, RENEWABLE ENERGIES, RURAL VILLAGESAbstract
Energy communities are well developed in many EU countries allowing the local production of green energy with the participation of environmentally conscious residents willing to be energy self-sufficient utilizing indigenous green energy resources and eliminating their carbon emissions. The possibility of creating energy communities in small rural villages in Crete, Greece has been investigated in the present study. Two small villages in western Crete, Modi and Ravdoucha, have been selected and their annual energy requirements in electricity, domestic hot water and space heating have been calculated. The characteristics of the solar photovoltaic systems generating annually all the electricity demand in these two villages have been estimated. The nominal power of the solar-PV system in Modi village has been evaluated at 334.02 KWp while the investment cost for each inhabitant in the village at 1,787 €. The corresponding nominal power of the solar-PV system in Ravdoucha village has been evaluated at 370.86 KWp and the corresponding cost for each inhabitant at 3,617 €. The solar photovoltaic system in each village can be created collectively with the establishment of an energy cooperative and the active participation of all the residents. Additionally, it has been indicated that the annual demand for domestic hot water and space heating in these two villages can be covered individually using their indigenous carbon-free green energy resources. Therefore, the creation of small energy communities in small rural villages in Crete is technically and financially feasible. The results of the present study can be used by policy makers and local authorities in Crete willing to promote the green energy transition in small rural societies.
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