Since the beginning of the INSULAE project in April 2019, the main activities carried out in Madeira Lighthouse Island were:

  • Madeira Lighthouse Project INSULAE presentation to local stakeholders and interested general public;
  • Personal meetings between EEM, ACIF and EFACEC;
  • Negotiations with Funchal Municipality to find a public place to install fast EVs smart-chargers;
  • Installation of an energy analyser and temperature probe in Curral das Freiras MV/LV substation (data acquisition);
  • Meeting with the electric car suppliers in the Region;
  • Remodelling works in a MV/LV substation of Curral das Freiras to prepare the BESS installation.

The presentation was given to Madeira’s inhabitants and local stakeholders, with the objective to present an overall view of the project and of all the technologies involved. The entities involved in this presentation were INSULAE partners ACIF, EEM and EFACEC as organizers and additionally, the Regional Government of Madeira, Câmara de Lobos Municipality, Regional Directorate of Economy and Inland Transports (DRETT), Regional Agency for Energy and Environment of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (AREAM), Regional Development Institute (IDR, IP-RAM), Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation. (ARDITI) , among others.

Figure 1 INSULAE Project presentation to Madeira’s inhabitants and stakeholders

On the 30th of September 2019, meeting was held in EEM headquarters between the partners ACIF, EEM and EFACEC (Portuguese technology provider partner). In this meeting the discussion focused on the first steps regarding the preparatory activities for the Funchal and Curral das Freiras demonstrations.

Since the beginning of 2020, and due to the 50 kW smart fast-chargers envisioned for the Funchal demo, EEM and ACIF are jointly with the Funchal Municipality trying to find a solution in order to transform a public space into a charging hub composed by these chargers. The objective is to find a central site with enough space for 4 parking EVs.

Figure 2 Illustration of one possible charging hub in Funchal

In April 2020 EEM installed an energy analyser that is currently monitoring the electrical grid and indoor temperature in a MV/LV substation of Curral das Freiras. The monitoring data will be useful to assess the result of the INSULAE BESS integration in this site. Furthermore, this equipment will be integrated in the Curral das Freiras demo system, since the data of the energy analyser will be used in EFACEC’s MicroGrid Management System (MGMS) and in CERTH’s Energy Storage Scheduling Tool for Optimal Battery Life (ESSTOBL).

In May 2020 we held a meeting with electric car suppliers in the region. The objective was the preparation of the recruiting pilots for V2G to be executed in the project. At this stage, we needed a clearer idea of the electric car park and how could we contact the car owners to recruit them. The suppliers show interest in the project and made a first contact with their customers. From this first contact, we already have some expressions of interest from the electric car owners

By the end of September 2020, EEM finished the remodelling works in the MV/LV substation that will accommodate all the (BESS) systems proposed for the Curral das Freiras demo. The main works were the relocation of 6,6 kV switchgear, an addition of an extension to a 6,6 kV cable, the construction of a new cable path inside the substation and the inherent telecommunication infrastructure that will be needed in the scope of the demo.

Figure 3 Pictures of the exterior and interior of the remodelled MV/LV substation