The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat recently hosted two workshops in Brussels. The workshops focused on spatial planning and smart electricity systems to accelerate the decarbonisation of European islands. Held at Maison de la Poste from 28 to 29 January 2025, these sessions brought together island representatives, energy experts, and market actors to share best practices and innovative solutions for sustainable energy transitions.
Workshop 1: Spatial Planning in Support of Islands' Decarbonisation (28 January 2025)
Effective spatial planning facilitates the transition to clean energy on islands. This workshop provided valuable insights into methodologies and strategies that can enhance renewable energy integration while preserving island communities' unique environmental and social landscapes.
Key presentations included:
- Renewable Energy for Fejø Island—Christa Kloch outlined Fejø’s approach to incorporating renewable energy while balancing land use, environmental considerations and community acceptance.
- Pantelleria’s Path to Decarbonisation—Giuseppe Inglese presented innovative spatial planning strategies to reduce Pantelleria’s reliance on fossil fuels.
- Menorca’s Spatial Planning Strategies—Josep Escola detailed Menorca’s comprehensive planning approach and highlighted the barriers to the effective deployment of renewable energy projects.
- DAFNI’s Approach to Spatial Planning—Petros Markopoulos discussed how the DAFNI network supports Greek islands in designing sustainable spatial frameworks for energy transition.
- The Role of Spatial Planning in Renewable Integration—Jørgen Primdahl highlighted best practices for making spatial planning a societal effort to reduce uncertainties around renewable energy deployment.
Key Discussions and Takeaways
The workshop explored island communities' challenges in land-use planning for renewable energy projects. Participatory planning experiences from Fejø, Pantelleria, Menorca, and Kythnos/Astypalea were shared, emphasising the need for community engagement and creativity. The importance of spatial planning as a foundation for a just and sustainable transition was underscored, with the secretariat playing an active role in supporting island communities in their decarbonisation efforts.
The workshop also focused on navigating different regulatory frameworks for spatial planning on islands, providing examples of renewable energy projects developed despite spatial planning restrictions, and engaging various stakeholders in the decision-making process. Case studies from Fejø, Pantelleria, Menorca, Astypalea, and Kythnos highlighted the importance of long-term spatial and urban planning. Collaborative approaches involving local communities were identified as key to overcoming the challenges posed by spatial planning restrictions.
Workshop 2: Smart Electricity Systems Facilitating ISLANDS’ Decarbonisation (29 January 2025)
On the second day, experts and stakeholders explored how smart electricity systems can improve demand-side management and flexibility, enabling a more resilient and sustainable energy supply for EU islands. The workshop examined legislative frameworks, cutting-edge projects, and practical applications that can enhance grid stability and efficiency.
Highlights from the presentations:
- The Importance of Smartening Island Electrical Systems— Petros Markopoulos (DAFNI) emphasised the need for digitalisation and modernisation to ensure grid stability and supply reliability.
- EU Legislative Framework on Flexibility and Demand-Side Management—Mojtaba Eliassi (Think-e) provided an overview of key EU policies supporting demand-side flexibility and grid management.
- Insights from the RE-EMPOWERED Project—Petros Markopoulos discussed innovative solutions piloted to optimise energy consumption and production on islands.
- HIHELIOS Project Overview—Mohsen Akbarzadeh introduced new battery storage and hybrid energy system solutions to improve self-sufficiency.
- Crete Valley’s Decarbonisation Efforts—Cristian Galletta (FEDARENE) shared lessons from Crete’s transition towards a low-carbon energy system.
Key Discussions and Takeaways
The workshop featured experiences with smartening electrical grids, an analysis of the EU legislative framework on flexibility and demand-side management, and practical insights from EU-funded projects like RE-EMPOWERED, HiHELIOS, and Crete Valley. Discussions focused on the role of DSOs in enabling grid flexibility, with case studies from Madeira, Gotland, and Greece. Market actors, including Energynautics, Energypool, Energytix, and Watt4Ever, shared tools and methodologies to support demand-side management. The importance of collaboration in implementing smart energy solutions was highlighted, showcasing real-world examples of how EU islands integrate advanced technologies to manage energy more effectively.
The workshop also addressed the role of demand-side flexibility in island grids, the current status of regulation regarding demand-side management (DSM) at the EU level, and best practices, tools, and methodologies for implementing DSM programs. It was noted that islands possess limited options for flexibility on the generation side, leading to a high need for demand-side flexibility to ensure grid stability and increase renewable energy penetration. The role of regulatory sandboxes was discussed, along with the need for thorough design regarding battery storage. The adaptability of local communities to new energy consumption patterns was emphasised, although the behaviour of visitors remains a more complicated issue. Successfully designing and implementing a DSM program requires a refined methodology, including identifying the system’s flexibility needs, estimating flexibility capacity, and designing incentives and boundary conditions in which the program can operate.
The secretariat also highlighted the importance of collaboration in implementing smart energy solutions, showcasing real-world examples of how EU islands integrate advanced technologies to manage energy more effectively.
A Step Forward for EU Islands
Both workshops underscored the critical role of integrated planning and advanced energy systems in achieving a sustainable, 100% renewable future for EU islands. The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat's participation in the broader " Strengthening EU islands' grids and electricity systems towards a 100% renewable supply " event further reinforced the commitment to knowledge-sharing and collaborative action. These discussions and shared insights will be a foundation for future collaborations, ensuring that island communities can lead Europe’s clean energy transition.