Future evolution of renewables
The wind project is expected to significantly reduce San Cristobal’s consumption of diesel fuel. Modeling of the hybrid system using the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab’s (NREL) internationally recognized HYBRID2 computer model indicates that the annual performance levels shown in the table will be achieved.
Displacing diesel. The project's goal is to replace diesel power with increasingly higher levels of wind energy. Source: American Electric Power
The San Cristobal Wind Project is seen as the first stage of an umbrella program supported by Ecuador and the UNDP that will eventually bring renewable electricity — hybrid wind-diesel plus some photovoltaic — to the 25,000 residents of the Galapagos archipelago’s four inhabited islands.
"The project is currently being replicated by the government and UNDP on the island of Baltra and nearby Santa Cruz, the most populated island in the Galapagos," said Loeffelman. "Features like the petrels protection program, the development of the EIA, the treatment of the transmission line issues, the wind data collection, the selection of equipment, etc. are being guided by the San Cristobal Wind Project’s previous experiences. The ultimate goal of Ecuador and UNDP is to make the Galapagos Islands 100% free of petroleum imports by the year 2015."
The wind farm is also a model for the global promotion of small-scale renewable energy power generation and distribution systems in remote areas, and the UN has publicized the effectiveness of the public-private sector partnership to its member countries to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The San Cristobal Wind Project management team has been transparent in sharing its technical information, project approach, and detailed cost data with the government of Ecuador and the UNDP. The project should serve as a baseline reference for other hybrid wind systems for islands or remote power grids throughout the world (Figure 5).
5. Good neighbor. The San Cristobal Wind Project does not interfere with the site's being used as pasture land for dairy cattle. Courtesy: American Electric Power
According to Pedro Zapata Rumipamba, mayor of San Cristobal, the locals strongly support this wind project. "The perception the islands’ inhabitants have of the Archipelago’s administration, as well as this municipality, is basically related to adequate resource management for the sustainability of the Galapagos Islands, and of Isla San Cristobal in this case," he said. "We will take ownership of this project and work to support its future sustainability."
Darwin once said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change." Through their willingness to embrace the next generation of power generation, the people of the Galapagos Islands appear to be well on their way to successfully surviving in the 21st century.
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