St Helena: A Living Laboratory

for Green Energy

Dr Jason M. Yon & Dr Sam J. Williamson

Electrical Energy Management GroupUniversity of Bristol

5th February 2018

1

Not our typical research presentation

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More an overview of our research ideas and

the broader renewable energy research space;

Our view on the role of islands

in the changing energy sector;

Our thoughts on the leading role that Africa,

Brazil and other developing economies will play

in the development of new grid technologies;

Our thoughts on the future of energy.

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Jason Yon

MEng Avionic systems

PhD Aerospace generators

Research Electrical powertrains

Teaching Design and Manufacture

Other

Grew up on St Helena.

Likes fishing, diving and

hiking

BEng

Aero-mechanical

systems

PhD

Microgrids and pico-

hydro power

Research

Renewable energy,

microgrids

Teaching

Electrical systems,

control

Other Likes cats

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Sam Williamson

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Electrical Energy Management Group

Focus:

Underpinning engineering science

for Electric Machines and

Power Electronics

Electromechanical Systems

Engineering

Application areas:

Energy Harvesting, Aerospace

Systems, Automotive Traction

Drives and Renewable Energy

Scale:

< 1 mW to almost 1 MW

www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/research/em

Academic Partners

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• Population of SSA: ~ 1.05 billion [1]

• Average electrification rate: 31% [2]

• Electrification essential to

economic growth

• A western/European style grid

is unlikely to be viable

• Real motivation to implement

new grid topologies

What has Africa got to do with it?

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Necessity is the mother of invention

“St Helena: A Living Laboratory

for Green Energy”

What’s this all about?

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Energy: What is it and do we need it?

• We don’t need energy; instead we need the services

that energy provides

• Key energy services [3]:

• Lighting

• Cooking and water heating

• Cooling

• Space heating

• Information and Communication

• Earning a living

• We must remember: Energy is not just electricity!

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Overview of energy research space

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Technology Policy

Economics

Social

Environment ENERGY

Why is St Helena interesting?

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It’s an island

It’s the right time

It’s the right scale

It has ambition

Other islands in the literature [4]

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Caribbean

New Zealand

Cyprus

Eigg

Mauritius

Samsø

Jeju Pacific Islands

Energy: How is it used on St Helena?

• Sankey diagram showing how some energy is used in

St Helena based on available data [5-8]

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How should we source energy?

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• Electricity: Diesel, solar PV, wind

• Transportation: Diesel, petrol, jet fuel

• Heating: Wood, gas, solar thermal

• Local renewables generation can

reduce cost per unit and emissions

• Must be robust with low maintenance

overheads matched to available local

skills/repair facilities

IMPORTING FOSSIL FUELS IS EXPENSIVE!

Where should we locate renewables?

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Windy places?

All together?

Sunny places?

Spread out?

Near infrastructure?

Out of sight?

How should we store energy?

• Energy is not just electricity

• Storage is not just batteries

• Need to consider

• Round trip efficiency

[energy out / energy in]

• Cost per kW, cost per kWh (per ‘unit’)

• Storage can support energy systems to

balance supply and demand

• Could we store/use excess renewable

generation in hot water, charge electric

vehicles, cool masses?

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How do we tackle energy poverty?

>10% of household income spent

on energy (UK definition [9])

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What are the future challenges?

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What other technology

could we potentially

use in the future to

make St Helena even

more energy independent?

What will transport look like in the future?

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Electric ships [10]

Electric cars

Electric aircraft!

Hydrogen fuel cells?

+ Short range required

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Electric vehicles on St Helena?

Probably only viable with renewable energy

+ Charging off-street available for many

+ Able to support supply/demand balance

- Electricity @ 30p/46p per unit

Microgrids: What are they?

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Intelligent grid operation?

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• Support integration of small

scale domestic renewables into

grid using microgrid concepts

• Develop mechanisms for

intelligent metering

• Analyse possibilities of demand

management

• Load aggregation, grid

support, load shedding

• Storage control

• Time of use tariffs

So, what is our plan?

What we have – study

What we need – requirements capture

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Create and calibrate computer models of the

electrical grid and wider energy ‘system’

Try to be a useful academic partner for St

Helena in the renewable energy space

Use simulations and laboratory experiments

to assess new technologies and practices

Understand:

Analyse:

Research:

Support:

Our hopes for St Helena

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We hope you meet your renewable energy targets;

We hope that the island continues to have bold ambition as

energy system technology evolves:

We hope that this reduces the cost of energy;

You’re small enough to make big changes!

Thank you for listening Any questions?

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References

1. http://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/sub-saharan-africa-population/

2. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ibrahim-assane-mayaki/the-electrification-of-af_b_13951144.html

3. https://policy.practicalaction.org/policy-themes/energy/poor-peoples-energy-outlook/poor-

peoples-energy-outlook-2010

4. Yonghong Kuang et al., A review of renewable energy utilization in islands, Renewable and

Sustainable Energy Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.01.014.

5. http://www.connect.co.sh/uploads/2/9/0/2/29020443/connect_signed_accounts_2016-

17_final.pdf

6. http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/St-Helena-Government-Energy-

Strategy-DRAFT.pdf

7. http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RFP-Renewable-Energy-FINAL-

070617-1.pdf

8. http://sainthelenaisland.info/census2016summary.pdf

9. https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/policy/fuel-poverty.html

10. https://theloadstar.co.uk/port-liner-launches-first-emission-free-barges-europes-waterways/

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