Investigation of the Electric Power System for San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Archipelago

This study evaluates the current power system on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos archipelago off the coast of Ecuador and investigates increasing the penetration of renewable resources to produce electricity for the island. This research is motivated by the Ecuadorian governments' goal of achieving 100% renewable energy generation across the islands. The islands currently produce only 16% of their electricity from renewable resources and the remaining 84 % is generated with diesel fuel. Environmental concerns including carbon emissions, oil transportation, and environmental protection of conservation lands are the main drivers for adopting renewable sources. The islands do not consume a large amount of electricity, but there are infrastructure challenges and small micro grid stabilization issues to consider to prevent environmental degradation and reduce reliability concerns with variable energy resources. This study evaluates the current generation mix for San Cristobal Island, evaluates the renewable energy potential, develops a model for the power system using MATLAB/Simulink and provides a two step renewable energy implementation plan to achieve 100% renewable energy coverage on the islands using a combination of solar, wind, and biofuels.