C26 -- Assessing the Effect of the Green Energy Transition of Islands on the Decarbonization of the Building Sector: Experiences from Pilot Studies of the React Project PDF

The green energy transition of the islands in European Union has begun and the focus is on increasing the penetration of renewable energy systems (RES) in the energy production mix. High RES penetration can advance the concept of green electrification and can enhance the role of heat pumps and energy storage solutions, and primarily technologies like lithium-ion batteries. The European Project REACT (Renewable Energy for Self-Sustainable Island Communities) is implemented in three (3) "islands" (pilot islands), Graziosa (Spain), San Pietro (Sardinia), and Inis Mor, Aran islands (Ireland) where the green transition includes installations of photovoltaics, batteries, heat pumps, heat storage, wind turbines, and the production of green hydrogen. The REACT solution supports the installation of RES and promotes the development of a software platform that connects smart home appliances to the internet. This practice allows online monitoring and focuses on the reduction of the peak demand in order to avoid blackouts, by shifting loads from the peak hours to other time periods where demand is expected to be lower. The software HOMER Pro is being utilized for modeling the REACT solution and with the scope to assess the decarbonization of building electrification. This study reports the experiences from the installations on the pilot islands and presents the RES scenarios that support the green energy transition. Moreover, the study considers the social acceptance (by means of questionnaires) and the technological alternatives for upscaling the REACT solution on bigger islands. The outcomes of this study will be utilized for designing the green energy transition of five (5) islands of Europe: Lesvos, Majorca (Spain), the Isle of Wight (United Kingdom), Gotland (Sweden), Reunion (France), that act as "follower islands" in the project.