Hierro: Spain's Completely Renewable Island
by EcoGeek.org on 03.30.07
Spain has declared that El Hierro, one of the smallest of Spain's Canary Islands, will soon be completely carbon neutral. The island, with a population of around 10,000, will be powered by a combination of wind and hydroelectric power.
Most of the islands power will be taken from it's 10 megawatt hydroelectric infrastructure. Interestingly, excess wind power will actually be used to pump water uphill into one of two reservoirs. The potential energy of that water will then become a kind of gigantic battery for times when the wind isn't so strong. This unique system basically allows for wind power to become a steady, instead of intermittent, source of power.
The wind turbines will also power a desalination plant for the islands population. Of course, just in case, a diesel generator will be maintained just in case the carbon-neutral system fails. No word on exactly when the system will be up and running, but the windfarm and pumping stations are already being built. ::AP
aldous huxley couldn't have made a better island
Will the island be "completely carbon neutral?"
Or just the electricity? The AP article just talks about the electricity.
Pumped water energy storage ic certainly not unique, unless the word "unique" is being used to describe its use in a VERY specific context. I don't know about other locations around the world, but here in the UK there has been a pumped water energy storage system at Dinorwic in North Wales operational since 1984. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A973668 for more details.
It's "HIERRO" not "HEIRRO", i think you've got an errata
greatings from spain!
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editor note: Fixed. Thanks.
We have been pumping water up hill to catch its potential
energy at night here in California for some time. Great for
huge daytime electricty peak power demands that outstrip the natural gas,wind,solar,geothermal, and nuclear generating capacity.
Community-scale projects in Europe beat sustainable energy and climate change targets
www.goronadelviento.es