The development of a combined wind-hydro electricity production system is found to be the supreme method of handling energy shortage and excessive electricity production cost problems for the remote Aegean Sea islands, taking also advantage of the existing high quality local wind potential. In the present study, a parametrical investigation concerning the applicability of the recommended solution for several different cases is conducted. Among the most important parameters affecting the energy behavior of the proposed configuration are the number of wind turbines used, the selected water reservoirs size, the corresponding water pumps rated power and the local wind potential quality, along with the system electricity consumption characteristics. Throughout the parametrical analysis, the impact of all the above mentioned parameters on the system energy autonomy and electrical efficiency is examined. On top of that, detailed energy balance profiles on an hourly basis are also included. Finally, the simulation results obtained strongly support the suggested solution, especially when the conclusions of the present work are taken into consideration. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
