Toward a Renewable and Sustainable Energy Pattern in Non-Interconnected Rural Monasteries: A Case Study for the Xenofontos Monastery, Mount Athos

A fully renewable energy system for the Xenofontos Monastery on Mount Athos can achieve 100% power demand coverage using pumped hydro storage, with a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of 0.22 EUR/kWh. Alternatively, lithium-ion batteries can reduce LCOE to 0.11 EUR/kWh but cover only 90% of annual demand. The study developed new operation algorithms and simulated two system configurations—small wind turbines with photovoltaic panels paired with either pumped hydro storage or lithium-ion batteries—to optimize electricity production in non-interconnected rural monasteries, supporting energy transition efforts on Mount Athos.

Katsaprakakis, D. Al. (2024). Toward a Renewable and Sustainable Energy Pattern in Non-Interconnected Rural Monasteries: A Case Study for the Xenofontos Monastery, Mount Athos. Sustainability, 16(5), 2111. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052111