Operating results of a wind-diesel system which supplies the full energy needs of an isolated village community in the Canary Islands

Following is a discussion of the operational strategies of a wind-diesel system which has been installed in an isolated fishing village community on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canarian Archipelago. The project was implemented with the aim of meeting the complete energy requirements of the community: street lighting and domestic consumption, desalination plant, freezer plant, sewage water purifier, hydrocompressor for the supply of potable water and a winch for small vessels. An analysis is also made of the results which were obtained with respect to the quality of the service supplied, the percentage of wind penetration in the system, fuel savings and the decrease of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. A comparison of these results has also been made with the corresponding estimated figures for the performance of the system when originally designed. The conclusion is drawn that, from a technical point of view, the system that has been developed supplies all the service needs of the community on a regular basis with an acceptable level in the quality of the energy and a substantial improvement in the quality of the environment. This is a contributing factor to providing a satisfactory level in the quality of life for the inhabitants of the community. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.