Abstract— Wind turbine (W/T) installation in coastal regions is highly beneficial for green electricity production. Even though the high velocity of air flow in these areas is a crucial factor, there are also issues in the design and construction of the W/T that have to be examined in order to obtain a high level of energy efficiency. Two major issues are: a) the erosion of the W/T's construction material due to the moisture content and salinity and b) the high and volatile loads at the rotor blades caused by the high velocity of air flow. The purpose of this paper is first to assess the durability of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) and secondly to calculate and evaluate, with the use of numerical and analytical models, the renewable energy produced. The materials used in the modeling of the rotor blades and the tower of the VAWT are fiberglass-reinforced polyester (GFRP) and anodized aluminum respectively. These materials have been selected due to their resistance in erosion and their mechanical strength in high dynamic loads. The results of the effects of air flow velocity and pressure on the rotor blades have been calculated through Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code in Ansys Fluent while the effects of dynamic mechanical loads on the rotor, through Finite Element Method (FEM) in Ansys Mechanical. Finally, the electrical energy of the VAWTs' network is calculated with the use of an analytical model. Index Terms— CFD, FEM, VAWT, Green Energy I. INTRODUCTION CCORDING to the assessment report of IPCC, the increase in GHG (Greenhouse Gases) concentration in the atmosphere over the last 50 years is the greatest factor of global warming. It is also mentioned that there is a need for significant drop to the CO 2 emissions in order to assist the stabilization of the atmospheric CO 2 concentration [1]. In compliance with European Union's CO 2 emissions reduction internal commitment, EU's 28 aim to achieve a 20% reduction until 2020, while the EU's GDP grew 45% between 1992 and 2012. A major factor for this achievement is the implementation of structural policies in the fields of climate and energy [2]. Also, the concept of local energy production is a factor of 1 Manuscript received April 7, 2015. A. D. Stouras is Mechanical Engineer with the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (corresponding author to provide phone: 00306976712323; e-mail: mc07632@mail.ntua.gr). G. Kouzilos, PhD was with the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. He is now with the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence (e-mail: gkouzilo@mail.ntua.gr). D. E. Manolakos, PhD is a Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (e- mail: manolako@central.ntua.gr). energy independence and cost reduction, applied to facilities with vast requirements of electricity [3]. Under these findings, there is a profound need to explore the ability to provide electricity with a more ecological, cost- effective and sustainable strategy. In this case, the implementation of renewable energy sources to the energy equilibrium of an island is to be considered. II. AVAILABLE WIND POTENTIAL According to the European Environment Agency's (EEA) No 6/2009 Technical Report (with the aid of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), most of the Northern Sea countries and the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea experience winds with a speed ranging from 4 m/s to 8 m/s or more. Furthermore, the same report states that the previously described areas can provide anywhere from 1000 to more than 3000 full load-hours of potential annually. These areas include some of the most highly populated areas of Europe, where the energy demands are high. They also include some remote islands (particularly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea) where energy independence is crucial for the seamless operation of these communities, therefore harvesting the wind potential-in some cases in a combination with solar energy solutions-promotes energy sustainability, particularly in cases of energy shortage [3]. These findings promote the need to investigate further for efficient ways to harvest the energy provided, especially in areas where the energy demand is high. A. Implementation of Wind Energy Solutions in remote islands Due to the higher than average wind energy density and consistent wind potential of coastal areas and in particular (for the current study) islands, the actual utilization of wind energy solutions, as for example wind turbines, becomes a growing need in order to achieve green energy production along with a level of energy sustainability and independence. On-shore wind turbines, according to a research sponsored by the US Department of Energy, achieve one of the lowest levelized costs of energy production in $/kWh, which is lower than the equivalent for photovoltaic systems, which in both cases includes the payback of initial investment and operation cost [4]. Especially, the integration of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) instead of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) is to be considered a more practical solution in urban and industrial environments. Small and Utilization of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines on Remote Islands Argyrios D. Stouras, George Kouzilos, Dimitrios E. Manolakos 1 A Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2015 Vol II WCE 2015, July 1 - 3, 2015, London, U.K. ISBN: 978-988-14047-0-1 ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online) WCE 2015