Renewable energy

Near the coastline of Crete, winding roads lie alongside wind turbines with their three blades all pointed toward the sea. The turbines, built on the ridges of ...

Astypalaia, in the middle Aegean, is working to transition to electricity from wind and solar after the island partnered with Volkswagen to bring in electric vehicles. That area could produce enough geothermal energy to cover half of the Cycladic islands’ total needs, according to the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture. The island recently got a license to install a battery station similar to the one on Tilos. Even during times of low wind or sun, Tilos still gets most its energy from renewable sources – but it’s not from an undersea cable linking it to the mainland. Schaffner would also like to see Greece develop geothermal energy on islands with volcanic activity, which includes Crete and many islands in the Cyclades. Ioannis Kaldellis, a professor and renewable energy researcher at the University of West Attica, said many islands residents, including on his home of Lesvos, want to decrease their need for oil. Schaffner said the proposed project would damage Ikaria’s landscapes to generate energy for the mainland, when the island already has a small hybrid renewable energy plant that includes two wind turbines. But switching to renewable energy is a challenge for islands whose grids are isolated from the mainland. Papasarantis said he co-founded the organization Movement for the Protection of the Islands to fight against these large-scale wind farms. For decades, he’s harnessed the wind to sail across the Aegean – exploring islands with homes coated in white plaster and stony terrains with thriving ecosystems. Despite this, the islands tend to be more reliant on fossil fuels compared to the mainland, said Dr. Some of Greece’s best spots for producing wind and solar energy are on the islands.