A tiny Canary Island is on track to become the first island to reach self-sufficiency after decades of harnessing its natural wind and water features. This milestone comes after El Hierro reached 100% self-sufficiency in electricity for nearly 25 days in 2019. Now, its 11,000 inhabitants have been completely self-sufficient in electricity for 10,000 hours.
About half the island's annual demand is supplied by renewables. El Hierro supplies energy through its own resources, shutting off diesel engines and operating without external connection.
"Who wouldn't want to be part of a project like this, which is a global benchmark?" María Candelaria Sánchez Galán, the head of operations at Gorona del Viento, told The Guardian.
Once the five turbines of the hydro-wind power plant harness wind, the energy they capture supplies electricity. The excess energy is used to pump water to an upper reservoir. When no wind hits the island, the water is released from above and runs down through the turbines to generate electricity.
"The stored water acts like a storage battery," said Galán.
The latest figures the island put out reveal that 13,000 to 18,000 tons of carbon pollution have been avoided annually for the past three years. However, the island has a goal of complete decarbonization within 15 years. A new solar power plant to boost green energy capacity is on the horizon.
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Avoiding carbon emissions and working toward complete energy self-sufficiency are profound stepping stones in the right direction for environmentalism. The innovative methods that this island uses do not exist in a vacuum, however. Individuals can harness clean energy on their own too.
Smart homes are one solution. They use technology that can save homeowners hundreds annually while drastically reducing their carbon emissions. These homes automatically measure energy consumption and resource usage to minimize impact through heating, lighting, water usage, and appliance functions. Installing solar can go even further, with annual energy savings worth up to $1,500.
Like El Hierro, you can become self-sufficient with energy too. There are myriad solutions to reduce your carbon footprint. As the island acts as a "constantly evolving laboratory," homeowners can do the same.
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Yes — very soon ☀️ Galán agreed, telling The Guardian, "I believe this is the way forward, and time is proving us right."
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