Island of Tilos 3rd Winner of the 2020 RESponsible Island Prize

The Island of Tilos in Greece is the 3rd winner of the 2020 RESponsible Island Prize. The Island will receive a €100.000 cash prize for their proposal ‘TIL0S- Towards the Deeper Integration of Local Renewables and a Carbon-Free Island Energy System´. The prize was awarded for the share of renewable energy produced by innovative energy technologies, the environmental and socioeconomic sustainability and impact, citizen and community involvement, and the replicability of the solution.

Tilos - An Island Champion in Renewable Energy and Innovation

Over the recent years Tilos accelerated its clean energy transition in a remarkable pace, enabled by the strong commitment of the local Municipality, the pro-environmental culture and the mindset of Tilos citizens, and the implementation of innovative demonstration projects, such as the Horizon 2020 TILOS project. By embracing community-scale wind and solar, battery energy storage and advanced energy management and metering, Tilos achieves high shares of renewables in the local electricity sector. At the same time, the island extends its efforts to the directions of e-mobility and renewable-driven EV charging infrastructure, sustainable water management and energy efficiency in the local public lighting sector.

Excellence in Sustainability, community and citizen involvement

Tilos is well known for its strong community and solidarity spirit. These are the inherent characteristics of its citizens, who preserve the vision of sustainable development for the island, who value ecology and aesthetics and aim to set an example on the promotion of human rights and the protection of the environment. From the establishment of a local Refugee Hospitality Centre, as a response to the humanitarian crisis of the recent years, to the embracement of a sustainable energy model that turned the island into an energy blueprint for small and remote islands across the globe, Tilos citizens are actively engaged, demonstrating high levels of awareness and responsibility, and showing that local actions may indeed appreciate a much broader impact.

How can the example inspire other islands and communities?

An extensive survey, carried out in 2018 and capturing 15 different Aegean Sea islands, showed that an overwhelming majority of islanders (almost 3 out of 4) wholeheartedly supported transition to an energy future in line with the Tilos energy model. This is indicative of the high levels of social acceptance that the Tilos paradigm appreciates across the Aegean Sea, where new islands are increasingly adopting similar renewable energy systems and solutions. In the meantime Tilos continues to work intensively “Towards the Deeper Integration of Local Renewables and a Carbon-Free Island Energy System”, in an inclusive fashion and with the ambition to inspire more islands and local communities through the implementation of new innovation projects in the fields of clean energy, circular economy and protection of the environment and biodiversity.

What is the RESponsible Island Prize?

The RESponsible Island recognition prize rewards achievements in local renewable energy production for electricity, heating, cooling and transport on islands. The name refers to the combination of renewables (RES) and responsibility. Islands often have high local energy costs, but can benefit from the transition to renewable energy sources in many ways. These include the creation of local jobs and opportunities for sustainable tourism. More than 20 million EU citizens live on islands. They are ideal test labs to develop innovative energy technologies and can serve as energy transition models for small communities in general.

28 June 2021

European Union