Have you heard of Chalki before? Its solar electricity grid is the first of its kind in Greece, and it aims to power the whole island. The solar grid was inspired by the GR-eco Islands project, which is promoted by Greece’s PM, Mitsotakis.
Where is Chalki?
Chalki is found in the Dodecanese archipelago, very close to Rhodes. It has not been touched by mass tourism yet and is a great destination for quiet vacations that are away from Greece’s main touristed sights.
The population is 330 and it has a “big brother” relationship with the island of Rhodes for some of its basic needs in the past, including energy. It is the smallest island in the Dodecanese island chain, and this Greek island has a total size of 28 square kilometers.
In recent years, a lot of Chalki Island locals have emigrated to other areas of Greece or to other countries. In 2021, Chalki’s islanders were thrilled to see their first baby born in 50 years.
GR-eco Islands project
Greece’s Prime Minister Mitsotakis boasts about the effectiveness of the GR-eco plan at the UN Conference on Climate Change and states that “GR-eco will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 10 million tons, turning our islands into 100% green and sustainable, autonomous destinations.” The GR-eco plan could in theory be applied to other islands of Greece to achieve similar results.
Energy Savings in Chalki
Greek and French companies invested in the GR-eco program on Chalki Island, which began in 2021 and now “succeeds in reducing the island’s carbon footprint by 2,500 tonnes. This is the same as what is produced by 600 conventional cars.” says Vassilis Zafiropoulos, project developer on Chalki Island.
For houses on the island, there are many benefits. Especially for a country where energy is a large portion of monthly wages, citizens of now find that their household electricity bills are zero euros. For small businesses, one shop owner notes that last year, their bill was €8,000. This year, it was cut to €1,500.
The GR-eco Islands project also offers free electricity for cars on Chalki Island, and the police are one of the first groups to take advantage.
In addition, Chalki locals installed a smart tourist kiosk, a solar bench, solar-powered phone chargers, and an IoT fleet control service in the town center.
The mayor of Chalki, Evangelos Fragakakis, is very proud of the project. He notes that “It has taken funding from the EU to bring the GR-eco idea to other islands of Greece.” For more eco-friendly projects in the Greek islands, read more here.
Want to visit Chalki Island?
Chalki is visitable by boat from Rhodes – the trip that takes about 2 hours. For the adventurous, there is also a boat directly from Athens, but it is not recommended since it takes 20 hours to arrive at this faraway island. The best time to visit the island of Chalki is from April to November, when there is a warm temperature are little rain. In August, the weather can be oppressively warm because the Dodecanese island chain does not have the same Meltemi winds like the islands of the Aegean.
Other activities on the island of Chalki include swimming in the secluded beaches, enjoy the local foods at local tavernas, and walking along the local footpaths. The island of Chalki is relatively hilly, so there are hilltops with views to the sea. It’s always worth ending the day with a drink at a local seaside cafe-bar.
