Feasibility Study of Hybrid Solar-Wind Energy Systems for Sustainable Airport Operations for Islands: A Case of San Andrés and Providencia
F.L. Martinez Clavijo (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
P.C. Roling – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
A. Bombelli – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
I.I. de Pater – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
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Abstract
Island airports face unique decarbonization challenges: highly variable electricity demand, limited land, and a costly reliance on diesel. This study quantifies the techno-economic potential of hybrid renewableenergy systems (HRES) at Colombias two Caribbean airports Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (ADZ) located at San Andrés island and El Embrujo (PVA) located at Providencia island.
A two-stage workflow is developed. Stage 1 reconstructs 2024 hourly demand by (i) distributing monthly utility-metered energy with a reference 24 hours load-share pattern, and (ii) adjusting that baseline using flight movements and ambient temperature from 2024; inputs are Open-Meteo re-analysis, Flightradar24 traffic logs, and Aerocivil electricity bills. Stage 2 solves a mixed-integer linear programme that selects optimal capacities and hourly dispatch of photovoltaic (PV), wind, lithium-ion storage batteries (separate PV- and wind-coupled banks), and back-up diesel generation. Six energy systems are explored; four relevant configurations-full hybrid (PV+Wind+Diesel), Renewables-combined (PV+Wind), Renewables-only (PV) & (Wind), and Diesel Renewables (Diesel+PV) and (Diesel+Wind) are analysed in detail.
Results for 2024 show that a full hybrid can satisfy the airports loads at present-worth costs of US$ 458,000 for Gustavo Rojas Pinilla and US$ 11,700 for El Embrujo, reducing diesel use by 82% and 79 %, respectively, relative to current practice. The battery banks operate at moderate time average states of charge (30 - 40 %) with roughly 280-416 equivalent cycles per year. The optimal system build-outs for San Andrés comprise approximately 1 ha of land for 2,461 PV modules (generating 1752 MWh annually), together with four midsize wind turbines requiring about 2 ha (producing 1281 MWh), less than1 MWh of battery storage, and 580 MWh of diesel generation. In contrast, Providencia requires only 228 m2 of land for 57 PV modules (producing 30 MWh), a single wind turbine occupying roughly 0.5 ha (generating around 31 MWh), about
16.5 kWh of battery storage, and 15 MWh of diesel use.
The methodology outlines a framework that utilizes publicly available data for demand analysis and a clear Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization approach. This framework serves as a reproducible and adaptable model for small-island airports aiming to create resilient and low-carbon energy systems. It not only reduces reliance on diesel power but also promotes the development of locally generated energy solutions, thereby enhancing energy autonomy and sustainability in remote and island airport settings.
The islands located in the Caribbean or in the Pacific often benefit from favourable weather conditions, including consistent solar irradiance and adequate wind speeds, which facilitate the effective implementation of renewable energy technologies, particularly solar and wind power systems.