When and where is SAILWIND-POWER rewarding?
Basically wherever electricity is needed and where it should be produced in a sustainable manner. Of course in remote regions or on islands and particularly in tourist places. The sustainable, CO2-neutral, decentralized energy supply without the consumption of primary energy is becoming progressively important.
Windy regions
Greece has an exceptionally high supply of wind. The Aegean sea was previously known to sailors as a rather calm body of water. However, climate changes have turned the Greek islands into very windy regions in the last 30 to 40 years. The Greek government has acknowledged this and made wind power one of the main goals of its energy strategy.
Locations with wind speeds of 10 m / s and more on an annual average are not uncommon! Especially close to the ground! There is no need for gigantic high wind turbines! Astute use of the terrain is possible.
Irrigation
The self-sufficiency of people with vegetables and fruits in hot, dry regions is a challenge. Here, groundwater or freshwater from a lake has to be pumped for irrigation. The electric pumps can be operated with SAILWIND-POWER.
Seawater desalination
In many regions and especially on touristic islands with a very high demand for fresh water, there is no longer any quality groundwater. It has to be filtered and processed. Particularly on islands and in areas near the sea, drinking water is often too salty due to mixing with seawater. Energy-intensive seawater desalination is here required, which could be supplied with SAILWIND-POWER. This subject is already under negotiation with ΔΕΥΑθ for the island of Santorini.
Wind farms, why not?
Several SAILWIND systems can be interconnected in an energy network so that settlements, localities and entire communities or islands can be supplied with renewable energy independently. Hybrid operation with PV and battery storage is ideal here.
A network of SAILWINDs has advantages in terms of control. To do this, the machines do not have to be arranged in a regular grid. Rather, locations can be selected as energy-efficient or simply as desired. The interconnected machines are run and monitored fully automatically by a central server to maximize yield and operational reliability.
Conclusion
Experts agree: climate targets can only be achieved if wind energy is combined with solar energy across the board. Preferably with battery storage. Large wind turbines are a problem in many places. You don't want them in front of your door, they obscure the landscape and they are loud, you have abide by distance rules to residential areas, the permit procedures are tedious, the investments are enormous. SAILWIND as a medium-sized small wind turbine around 50 kWp is the solution here: It looks good, it runs quietly, it is sustainable, it is largely maintenance-free and it enables fully automatic operation in the energy network thanks to smart controls.