Rafaela Melim
Rafaela Melim is a Porto Santo business and hospitality leader associated with Restaurante Torres and identified in coverage as president of the Associação Empresarial do Porto Santo, where she has advocated for local commerce, tourism, and small businesses on the island.
Porto Santo Tests Battery-Backed Renewables for Isolated Island Grids
Porto Santo is trying to raise its share of renewable electricity on a small, isolated grid whose demand rises sharply with tourism and whose weather can change within a day. Hitachi Energy’s Bruno Fonseca and Empresa de Eletricidade da Madeira’s Agostinho Figueira argue that the island’s challenge is not simply adding solar and wind, but using batteries and grid-support systems to keep power reliable as renewable supply and seasonal demand fluctuate. The project aims to move Porto Santo from about 10 per cent renewable electricity to roughly 70 per cent, with backers saying the lessons could apply to larger power systems.
Porto Santo Tests Battery-Backed Renewables on an Isolated Island Grid
The Financial Times reports on Porto Santo, a small Portuguese island being used as a test case for how isolated grids can absorb much more renewable power without becoming less reliable. Hitachi Energy Portugal’s Bruno Fonseca and Empresa de Eletricidade da Madeira’s Agostinho Figueira argue that new solar, wind and battery systems could move the island from about 10 per cent renewable electricity to roughly 70 per cent, while managing the seasonal demand swings created by tourism and fast-changing weather.