POSSIBILITIES OF USING SMALL WIND TURBINES FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN AGRICULTURAL GREENHOUSES IN THE ISLAND OF CRETE, GREECE

Renewable energies use in agricultural greenhouses results in the reduction of their environmental impacts. Aim of the current work is the investigation of using small wind turbines in greenhouses located in Crete, Greece for electricity generation. Crete hosts the majority of greenhouses in Greece which are mainly used for vegetable production. Use of wind turbines like other distributed electricity generation technologies has many economic and environmental benefits and they are highly desirable. The wind energy potential in various locations in Crete has been estimated as well as the electricity generated by small wind turbines from existing studies. In locations with high average annual wind speeds in Crete the cost of wind electricity is lower than the cost of grid electricity. In some of these locations there is a high concentration of greenhouses. Provided that net-metering regulations allow, additionally to solar electricity, generation of wind electricity use of small wind turbines in greenhouses with high annual electricity demand in Crete is economically profitable and environmentally attractive. Our results could help greenhouse growers as well as local authorities to promote the use of small wind turbines in Cretan greenhouses improving their environmental sustainability.