Solar Energy Production Planning in Antikythera: Adequacy Scenarios and the Effect of the Atmospheric Parameters

The National Observatory of Athens intends to operate a European Climate Change Observatory (ECCO) on the island of Antikythera, which meets the criteria to become a first-class research infrastructure. This project requires electricity that is unprofitable to get from the thermal units of this small island (20 km2). Solar energy is the subject that was examined in case it can give an environmentally and economically viable solution, both for the observatory and for the whole island. Specifically, observational and modeled data were utilized relevant to solar dynamic and atmospheric parameters in order to simulate the solar energy production by photovoltaics (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant technologies. To this direction, a synergy of aerosol and cloud optical properties from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Eumetsat’s support to nowcasting and very short range forecasting (NWC SAF) with Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) techniques was used in order to quantify the solar radiation and energy production as well as the effect of the atmospheric parameters and to demonstrate energy adequacy scenarios and financial analysis. The ultimate goal is to highlight the opportunity for energy transition and autonomy for both the island itself and the rest of the community with the operation of ECCO, and hence to tackle climate change.