ICE Report T2.1.1 - Smart peripheral territories transitions: Literature review and current status

Abstract

There is a wide range of literature relevant to smart energy island transitions. The insights afforded by a general literature addressing electricity system planning, has been incorporated into a burgeoning literature produced by practitioners and analysists tackling smart energy islands. At the same time, numerous islands and other peripheral communities have embarked on smart or sustainable energy transitions. By combing the numerical modelling approaches often used to guide planning decisions with what can be learnt from ‘real-world’ experiences provides a view on the opportunities and challenges facing island energy systems. This report also suggests a number of ‘best practices’ or pieces of general advice that can cut across the wide variations in physical, economic and cultural contexts, unique to each island community. We propose these to be: • Adopt new technologies: The particular challenges of island energy systems mean that novel and new technologies will be especially valuable • Engage local communities: Creating a new form of energy system cannot be driven from the top-down. It is vital that not only is community engagement seen as a tool for removing resistance to change, but that the nature, timing and extent of change is the result of real discussions among system participants • Involve local enterprise: The long-term economic benefits of the transition may be associated with ongoing provision of goods and services by island companies • Invest in skills and capacity: In many small communities, the capacity and skills required to undertake an energy system transition are very limited. Strategic decisions about the skills to be fostered may build long term economic resilience • Consider alternative business models: It may be the case that community-led or locally-owned energy ventures are better suited to island contexts than traditional utility business models • Play to your strengths, but be realistic about supply options: Many islands have impressive energy resources, but these are often concentrated in one or two resources, limiting the ability to rely solely on these resources • Use energy wisely: By reducing overall demand peaks as well as making energy demand more responsive to resource availability may reduce the cost of generation and distribution as well as actively contributing to system reliability

These best practices are reflected in a series of interrelated actions, assembled as a guide for island communities pursuing a smart energy transition. The so-called ‘ICE methodology’ to transitions incorporates and elucidates seven key steps and is provided as ICE deliverable number: T2.1.2.