Tilos Island Greece Project Τήλος νήσος

The island of Tilos, in the Dodecanese archipelago of Greece, is fully self-sufficient concerning its energy needs thanks to a substantial investment in renewables, being the first of all the Mediterranean islands to power itself through green energy, namely wind and solar power, in June 2017. Tilos won two awards for its innovative concept at the prestigious European Union Sustainable Energy Week. The TILOS project competed in both Energy Islands and Citizens Awards categories. Public participation was extraordinary, and the Tilos project earned half of all votes. The awards were granted by the EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy. For the island in general, dependence on fossil fuels involves high transportation costs. The smart island microgrid system, based on renewable energy and batteries implemented in Tilos, could become an example for other islands that are not connected to the main grid, providing a viable alternative to polluting and expensive oil-based solutions.