The effect of island interconnections on the increase of Wind Power penetration in the Greek System

Greece is a country with many dispersed islands where favorable conditions for exploiting RES exist. Cyclades is a group of islands that some of them are not so far away to be interconnected with the mainland and among them. This interconnection will reduce the need for operating the local oil- fired stations and extending the area they occupy to meet future needs. This paper presents an additional benefit from the Interconnection of Cyclades to the mainland, the exploitation of the very favorable wind conditions of the area. With the use of geographical information systems (GIS) the most promising locations for installing wind power have been identified with the restriction of the thermal limits of the interconnection lines. The results from investment analysis of wind power after interconnection of Cyclades show clear financial benefits for the potential investors even without subsidy.