Tilos, a small seahorse-shaped island in the Dodecanese of the Aegean Sea, is typically quiet. When one gazes upon the island’s small town, lush greenery, and wild orchids, it is difficult to imagine the island’s illustrious heritage.

Initially populated by dwarf elephants, Tilos was colonized by humans in the early Neolithic period and later became famous for its clothing and perfumes in the Classical Age. For a while, ancient Tilos was independent until the island fell under Seleucid, Egyptian, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Ottoman, Italian, German, and finally, Greek rule.

Paleontological and archaeological findings of elephant bones, potteries, and stone tools, in addition to ruins of castles built by the Byzantines and Crusaders, tell the little-known tales of this island’s rich history. Mass migration out of Tilos occurred after World War II as residents sought for more prosperous lives elsewhere; as a result, the island’s permanent population today is less than 600. However, the population surges during the summer months as tourists arrive to admire the island’s natural beauty.

Many insulated islands of the Mediterranean Sea, including Tilos, currently rely on oil-based energy imports from neighbouring regions. This reliance on fossil fuels is costly and harmful to the environment. In addition, lack of energy autonomy is a logistical nightmare for islands that fluctuate greatly in energy demand due to tourism. In recent years, the historic and mostly-forgotten island of Tilos has been thrown back into the spotlight, as it has been chosen for a pilot project by the European Union (EU) that seeks to address this very issue.

Tilos is an ideal candidate for this project for multiple reasons. For one, the island experiences huge fluctuations in its population during the year, which strains the already-unreliable energy resources. Many residents on Tilos have their own diesel-powered generators due to the unpredictable nature of the island’s power supply — not at all ideal when most of the island is part of a nature reserve meant to protect rare species. Additionally, Tilos is minimally developed, providing considerable undeveloped space to build infrastructure for solar and wind power.

The TILOS (Technology Innovation for the Local Scale Optimum Integration of Battery Energy Storage) Project will transform the island of Tilos into a self-reliant producer of solar and wind energy. Costing 13.7 million Euros, the project will involve an overhaul of the island’s electrical grid, smart metres in homes and businesses, a powerful 800 kW wind turbine, and a large solar power station. Most importantly, it will add prototype high-tech batteries that can store energy from the wind turbine and solar panels to satisfy the island’s erratic energy demands. Ultimately, the goal is to develop an easily implementable system that can optimize energy production on rural islands; in the long run, this will reduce carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency, autonomy, and reliability.

The TILOS Project has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for Tilos’ residents and protect the island’s natural environment for its rare animal and plant species. The island is also hoping that the improved environment and power supply reliability will encourage tourism, which is the main driver of the small island’s economy. Excess energy can even be exported to the neighbouring island of Kos, using the same submarine cables that currently bring electricity from Kos to Tilos. If the project is successful, it could be widely implemented on many other small European islands, such as La Graciosa of Spain and Pellworm of Germany.

As the EU continues to shift away from fossil fuels, all eyes are on the TILOS Project. For the island, it is a chance at autonomous, clean, and reliable energy. For the world, it shows a commitment to ensure that green energy is implemented on a global scale, with a small rural island as its ambassador.

By Jim Chen

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