1. The Initiatives of European Island Authorities
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
December
The Initiatives of European Island Authorities
The case of Greek Islands
Kostas Komninos Director, DAFNI – Network of Sustainable Greek Islands
Energy Expert, AEGEA – Aegean Energy and Environment Agency

2. Network of Sustainable Greek Islands
The DAFNI network
Network of Sustainable Greek Islands
DAFNI is a network of island local authorities
DAFNI is a non profit organisation
DAFNI has 40 members, 38 Municipal and 2 Regional members
DAFNI promotes sustainable development in Greek islands through integrated actions in the fields of energy, water, waste, mobility, environment and local development
DAFNI is founding member of the Pact of Islands, initiative promoting sustainability in EU islands through local energy planning and engagement of local authorities and citizens
DAFNI is the coordinator of the Smart Islands Initiative promoting islands as test beds for innovative projects

3. What is special about Islands
Structural handicaps related to energy
Energy planning based on seasonality
High reliance on hydrocarbons, high potential for emissions reduction
Obstacles to reduce emissions for interconnected islands due to low capacity cables that do not allow high RES penetration
Obstacles to reduce emissions for non-interconnected (NI) islands due to technical restrictions in the grid that do not allow high RES penetration
Difficulty to introduce natural gas in the islands’ energy market
Cost of energy is significantly higher due to transportation costs
First line of defence and most severe impact from climate change compared to continental regions
Often scarce water resources – Energy intensive desalination plants
Waste to be managed locally – Impossible to go to economies of scale

4. What is special about Islands
Opportunities
Many islands regions (NI ones), unlike mainland regions, are producing locally CO2 emissions in their territories and can commit to reduce them.
Islands host locally all the energy, water, waste and waste water management utilities. The integrated management of these infrastructures may create interesting paradigms and accumulated results.
Insularity issues faced by islands are in many cases similar with the insularity issues faced by mountainous and geographically isolated areas of continental Europe. The experiences of islands can be easily replicated and transferred to these areas too.
Innovative investments such as smart grids, energy storage and efficiency have a much higher impact on islands; especially non-interconnected ones.
Islands can function as test beds for different innovative technologies in the sustainability area which then can be scaled up to towns and cities of continental Europe

5. What is special about Islands
EURELECTRIC report – June 2012
“EU islands: Towards a sustainable energy future”
The report makes the following recommendations to national and European policymakers to incentivise the transition towards a sustainable energy future
Set up an EU Island Sustainable Energy Action Plan 2020
Improve security of supply through diversification of power generation technologies, as well as interconnection where possible
Use islands as a priority test-bed for innovative technologies such as storage, smart grids and RES. Foster RD&D on islands
Use exemptions appropriately and address the market failures that often occur as a result of limited size and isolation

6. What is special about Islands
Political dimension
Recognition of insularity by European Treaties (Article 174 of the Lisbon Treaty) and in the European Directives
Political support from the European Parliament
Musotto Declaration (2007), Written Declaration 37 (2011)
Call for tenders of the European Commission – Preparatory Action for Islands (2008)
Political support and Declaration from major island authorities and regions (through the Islands Commission of the CPMR)
“Smart Islands“ is the new strategy for the European Islands (September 2013) – drawing inspiration from Smart Cities and Communities
“Smart Islands“ is an own-opinion by the European Economic and Social Committee (March 2015)

7. What is special about Islands
Political dimension – Latest Progress
Winter Package Communication from the Commission
“Clean Energy For All Europeans”
ANNEX 2: Action to boost the clean energy transition
Chapter 8. Governance and partnerships for effective delivery
“Islands and island regions provide platforms for pilot initiatives on clean energy transition and can serve as showcases at international level, as, for instance, in the EU's outermost regions with the case of El Hierro (Canary Islands), 100% renewable energy island. The Commission would like to help accelerate the development and adoption of best available technologies on islands and island regions, including exchange of best practice in financing and legal and regulatory regimes, and in energy for transport. The first step is to bring the islands themselves together, regardless of their size, geography or their location.”

8. The Initiatives of European Island Authorities

9. Pact of Islands – How it all started
EU supported initiative launched in 2011 under the ISLE-PACT project, co-funded by DG-ENERGY, to promote local sustainable energy planning taking into account the special characteristics of islands
An initiative in liaison to the Covenant of Mayors but focusing on the islands’ special characteristics
Island Sustainable Energy Action Plans (iSEAPs) and Bankable Projects produced for the signatories
Methodologies and tools for planning and monitoring the ISEAPs provided to the signatories
Commitments
To submit an iSEAP one year after signing the PoI
To monitor and update the iSEAP at least every 2 years
To realise projects contributing to the EU KPIs
64 signatories from:
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Greece
Italy
Malta
Spain
Sweden
Portugal
United Kingdom

10. Sustainable Islands of Europe
Cluster of Scotland
10 members
Cluster of CPMR
6 members
Cluster of Spain
9 members
Cluster of Portugal
17 members
Cluster of Sweden
3 members
Cluster of ESIN
21 members
Cluster of Estonia
22 members
Cluster of Denmark
5 members
Cluster of Malta
Cluster of Greece
28 members
Cluster of Cyprus
150 members
11 clusters
250 trainees
61 bankable projects

11. Current PoI Signatories
Signatories = Islands
Cyprus – 16 municipalities
Denmark – 1 island
Estonia – 3 islands
Finland – 4 islands
France – 5 islands
Greece – 32 islands
Ireland – 1 island
Italy – 11 islands
Malta – 5 municipalities
Portugal – 11 islands
Spain – 11 islands
Sweden – 11 islands
UK – 1 island
Cape Verde – 10 islands
117 islands have signed the Pact of Islands as of today

12. What’s next? Smart Islands Initiative
Following up on the SMILEGOV Smart Islands Strategy the Smart Islands Initiative seeks to demonstrate that islands can host pilot projects and produce knowledge on smart and efficient resource and infrastructure management, which may be then transferred in mountainous, rural and generally geographically isolated areas but also scaled-up in big cities of continental Europe and beyond
SI Initiative advocates in favour of a place-based, transformative development agenda that taps into islands’ competitive advantages, generates local growth and prosperity and contributes to EU policy goals in the fields of
energy, climate,
innovation, circular economy,
transport and mobility,
blue growth, and
the digital agenda

13. Smart Islands Initiative
Smart Island refers to an insular territory that creates local sustainable economic development and a high quality of life for the local population by putting in place smart and integrated solutions to the management of infrastructures and natural resources, namely energy, transport and mobility, waste and water, all while promoting the use of innovative and socially inclusive governance and financing schemes.
Smart is used to refer to the adoption of an integrated approach to the management of islands’ infrastructure and natural resources and thus create an enabling environment for sustainable economic activities to flourish.
The Smart Islands initiative unfolds in three main directions
Smart Islands Initiative
Smart Islands Forum
An annual event for networking, knowledge exchange and project development
Smart Islands Declaration
A manifest to mobilize political and financial support towards islands seen as field of innovation and excellence
Smart Islands Platform
An EU scale organisation to promote smart, integrated and sustainable policies and projects of interest for its members

14. Smart Islands Initiative
Where we stand today
1st Smart Islands Forum took place in Athens in June 2016 with the participation of over 40 island representatives from Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK setting the foundations for the Initiative
Smart Islands Own Declaration is currently being signed by local island authorities and Letters of Support to the Initiative are signed by representatives of the Quadruple Helix
Smart Islands Event: Creating new pathways for EU islands is planned and organised for 28 March 2017 as an outgoing Brussels event with the support of MEPs to present to key stakeholders the Initiative

15. The case of Greek Islands

16. Electricity in the Greek Islands
32 islands – Interconnected to the mainland system
56 islands – Electrified by autonomous thermal plants (diesel, HFO) and RES
Size of the island systems
Peak load > 100 MW 2 systems
Peak load MW 20 systems
Peak load < 2 MW 10 systems
Power and Energy figures
Thermal plants: 1.75GW
RES plants: 0.45GW (75% wind)
Annual RES share on energy ~ 18%

17. Examples of projects under development
Municipal wind park, Lesvos: Repowering and extension of a licenced wind park with parallel operation of an environmental and RES park.
Municipal wind park, Kos: Unlocking license and financing processes of an existing installation license
Kythnos Smart Island: Master plan for the integrated infrastructures’ management in Kythnos island reviving the rich energy test-bed history of the island
Geothermal district heating, Lesvos: Reoperation and extension of a geothermal pilot district heating network to heat private houses, a poultry farm and several greenhouses.
Energy efficiency in street lighting (5 islands): LED lighting and smart control applications.
Smart Grid infrastructure (5 islands): Installation of energy control centres in the thermal power plants and smart meters at the end-users
Desalination with RES: Promotion of systems combining desalination plants with installation of RES plants.
Biogas plant, Naxos: Feasibility study for the exploitation of the local farming residuals.

18. Smart Grids project in 5 Aegean Islands WHY
Optimal management of the autonomous power systems:
Support increased RES penetration levels
Promote distributed RES production and microgrids
Integration of new RES technologies (solar thermal, hybrid with storage etc.)
Enhance security of operation
Optimize generation cost & Public Service Obligation (PSO) costs
Network monitoring and control:
Improve quality of supply and services
Facilitate operations
Optimize asset utilization
Reduce losses
Support application of new regulatory framework and NII market operation
Promote energy efficiency
Provide the basis for demand management and response

19. Smart Grids project in 5 Aegean Islands HOW
ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) is part of the EIB broader effort to support the EU climate and energy policy objectives.
ELENA provides technical assistance to local authorities to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
The project idea was conceived in 2009, in collaboration with the Public Power Company, later HEDNO – the sole Greek DSO.
DAFNI applied on behalf of 5 local island authorities (Lesvos, Lemnos, Milos, Santorini and Kythnos)
Island
Area (km2)
Population (2011)
Peak demand (MW)*
Wind farms (MW)*
PVs (MW)*
RES penetration (%)*
Lesvos
1,633
85,330
63.87
13.95
8.84
16,65
Limnos
478
17,000
14.00
2.44
1.83
12,14
Milos
160
5,129
11.50
2.65
0.618
19,12
Kythnos
100
1,310
2.82
0.665
0.238
4,69
Santorini 73
15,250
32.50
0.249
0,39
*(2013)

20. Smart Grids project in 5 Aegean Islands WHAT
ELENA Key figures
TA Budget : ~800 k€
Investment: ~52 m€
Period: 2011 – 2014
Studies and tender documents
Energy Control Centres (ECC)
Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for all consumers on the islands
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS)
Energy efficiency in street lighting
As of today
AMI tender has concluded and smart meters will be installed in
ECC to be installed in the larger NII

21. Smart Grids project in 5 Aegean Islands The role of local authorities
To collaborate with the DSO to inform and educate the consumers regarding the use and benefits of smart meters
To communicate the benefits of the smart grid infrastructure inside and outside of the island – “Smart grid lighthouse islands”
To support the transition of the consumers into prosumers
To take advantage of the potential margins for RES installations in order to participate in new investments
To take advantage of the secure and stable network to invest on energy efficient equipment in water and waste water infrastructure
To use the smart meters for a more efficient monitoring of municipal electricity consumption and secure energy savings in collaboration with ESCOs
To promote an integrated management of island infrastructure based on the “smart islands” concept starting with the smart grid (smart electricity)
To develop an EV market as a pilot user and promoter
To become an aggregator taking advantage of possible flexible municipal loads
To become a test-bed for future research and demo applications

22. Smart Grids – What’s Next WiseGRID – Smart Grids Demonstration Project in Kythnos
LCE2: Demonstration of smart grid, storage and system integration technologies with increasing share of renewables: distribution system
In Kythnos an integrated small electrical system will be developed including:
EV charging stations and EVs
Energy storage systems (batteries) for public/municipal buildings
Equipment for the optimization of the operation of a desalination plant
Energy storage systems (batteries) to reduce RES curtailment
Equipment for the flexible, optimal and secure operation of the electricity network, all while increasing the interactive communication with consumers (WiseGRID toolkit)

23. THINK ABOUT THE ISLANDS
Thank you
KEEP CALM
AND
THINK ABOUT THE ISLANDS
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