Communications for Exploiting Flexible Resources in the Framework of Smart Grids in Islands

Abstract

Although being among the least responsible for climate change, islands are in great threat due to it. The decarbonisation of the power system arises as a key factor to ensure adaptation and mitigation to it. Islands' characteristics make renewable electrification a challenge. Most islands are isolated systems with low levels of inertia that require stability for ensuring security of supply. Therefore, the potential of smart grids and flexible resources must be fully exploited to ensure a viable integration of renewable energy sources. In this vein, it is necessary to evolve the system including demand response, batteries and electric transport to increase the share of renewables. However, all these elements require a reliable communication architecture to be deployed. A communication architecture is hereby presented and applied to Galapagos for exploiting flexible resources. Different protocols have been selected to interoperate flexible resources integrated on the system. Each of them tries for each application to standardise and ensure the largest functionalities available. The deployment of smart grids in islands can reduce their carbon footprint as it is validated with a case study in Santa Cruz, Galapagos. This system proves to ensure the energy balance in a viable way, in technical, economic and environmental terms.