A Technical Feasibility Study of a Green Area

Abstract

A feasibility study of the creation of a community (either on or off grid), whose energy needs are fully covered by renewable energy sources, is a complicated task. The study may suggest and lead to policy and actions to minimize of even eliminate energy losses, and can guide us to zero emission cities and naval bases. This has the benefits of assisting ecology and petroleumbased fuel economy. During this study, not only an energy balance is estimated, but also the economic feasibility of the project is examined, in order to achieve a reasonable balance of initial and maintenance cost of the renewable energy sources and fuel economy. Following a comprehensive review of available sources, the study starts with an area selection. The geographical area selected is a large island off the main metropolitan region of Greece. It presents several challenges, mainly due to its size, diverse energy needs including a major naval base, and a widely fluctuating population with varying energy needs. These needs are analyzed along with the energy sources available in the area. A variety of optimization programs is selected offering several advantages and disadvantages. A set of parametric runs is conducted in order to reveal the most promising solutions from both a technical and an economic sense.