A low-carbon green energy island
Lee Wen-bing, deputy director of the Department of Renewable Energy at Taipower, states that in view of the high cost of diesel-generated power on offshore islands, Taipower, in coordination with the National Energy Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, is constructing a low-carbon smart grid demonstration system on Qimei. Run by Professor Chen Chao-shun of I-Shou University, the project marks a step forward in transforming Qimei into a low-carbon green energy island.
An array of solar panels has been installed on Qimei’s second highest hill, with a peak generating capacity of 355 kW. Because solar power can only be generated during daylight hours and the amount generated is greatest when skies are clear, the mismatch between peak generating times and peak demand will be adjusted via an energy storage system and a smart energy management system.
In 2019, Taipower plans to add 340 kW of wind power capacity and an energy storage system of 300 kWh. When construction is completed in 2020, electricity generated from renewable sources will account for over 40% of total power consumption on the island, maximizing the proportion of green power generation on Qimei.
Seen from the perspective of cost of supply and reliability, green energy requires a high level of investment, and is dependent on the weather. The supply is not fully reliable, so it will still be necessary to use diesel generators to produce electricity. But in terms of green energy and carbon reduction, whenever power is generated by coal or oil, greenhouse gases are produced. In Taiwan, each kWh of energy produced using coal or oil results in the emission of 0.528 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
Qimei’s smart power grid is a demonstration project for a low-carbon island.