• Energy Research
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• 2015 close

Solar Energy for Food Industry Proposal for the elaboration of a feasibility study, including a CPVT market study, for the application of concentrated PV-T solar energy and Large Thermal Storage (LTS) as support to the development of sustainable Food Security, through the construction of 2 CPVT demonstration plants in food-processing facilities in southern and northern Europe. Demonstration plants are planned to be built in northern Europe, in the Netherlands, and in southern Europe in Spain. Phase one will submit technical and financial solutions which shall pave the way for phase 2 submission of a final construction project for both demonstration plants. The innovative concept proposed is a Solar Concentration Hybrid Photovoltaio Thermal Cogeneration system using state of the art triple solar cells and a solar tracking device to capture the maximum possible solar energy with a parabolic trough linear concentration. The novelty presented in the project focusses on the food processing industry which is the largest manufacturing sector in the EU with 1,048 bilion € turnover and 4.2 milion employees busy throughout the European Union. Food processing is a major energy consuming manufacturing sector, which accounts for about 20% of the total EU fossil fuel consuption and the project has the ambition to contribute to the reduction of this resource consumption. The project will work with 4 participants spread over 3 EU countries. All technologies were patended last year. The project will move the novelty from TRL8 to TRL9.

Flow separation and dynamic stalling in aerofoils result in increased drag, reduced lift and increased dynamic loads on aerodynamic devices/vehicles. This culminates in reduced aerodynamic efficiency and increased structural vibrations, which are noisy and reduce the operating life of aerodynamic devices. To delay flow separations and dynamic stalling, flow control is engaged either actively (artificial means) or passively (natural means). This project describes a novel passive flow control method (Aeropaft) to be applied primarily in the wind turbine (WT) industry, then to aircraft and ground and marine vehicles. Wind energy is the fastest growing Renewable Energy source (RES) at 24.4% per year. To keep pace with growing demand, there is need for advanced technologies to increase the aerodynamic efficiency. Aeropaft is a simple technology exploiting high velocity currents from near the leading edge (via internal ducts) to re-energise the free-stream flow at the top of an aerofoil. This results in a 5% increase in electrical power yield for a 1MW WT, increase in lift (~16%), reduction of profile drag force (~7%) at higher aerofoil angles of incidences (>12o), and the reduction of wear caused by vibrations. We will penetrate 1% of the global WT market and 10% of the European market. Licensed Manufacturers stand to gain a 0.33% increase in market value and revenue of €1.72bn, while utility companies gain €101,013 per annum through savings and increased energy output per WT. Our revenue will come through licensing at 0.2% of the whole turbine cost translating to revenue of €10.3m and profits of €7.72m, five years post commercialization. Phase 1 will entail a market study, partner search, assessing structural integrity issues and developing an IP and commercialisation strategy. Phase 2 will be to modify blades of existing WTs with our technology and test demonstrate in the operational environment.

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse emissions in the EU. 80% of the buildings we will occupy in 2050 are standing today, with adequate measures, they have the potential to reach 70% reduction in their GHE gas emissions and energy savings worth €270 billion per year. The market for Energy Efficient Building product and services in Europe amounts €41 and growing at a 10.3% CAGR. However, building owners, when considering alternatives in a design or retrofit project, are challenged by high investment costs, uncertainty about savings and the complex nature of the domain. These are the main barriers preventing a wider adoption of building refurbishing projects. At Xylem Technologies, Austrian SME established in 2009, we are focused on the development of fundamentally new tools aimed towards a lower carbon economy. In lieu of the potential in EEB we started development of Semergy to provide the methodologies and ICT tools necessary to stimulate energy efficiency retrofitting. The architecture of Semergy is based on a novel and unique application of semantic web technologies (ontologies) that enable systematic retrieval and reorganization of data from multiple sources available on the Internet. No other commercial tool has this capacity and reduces the design effort by 70%. Building owners will be able to assess technologies available for their specific need with our Decision Support System that interactively compare retrofit options against criteria of cost, energy reduction and sustainability. Contractors will access a pool of building owners in our Marketplace and enhance efficacy of the design with the Optimization Environment. As a result, for EEB product and services providers, Semergy will provide a unique Product Placement Tool. They benefit from direct access to a curated target audience. Conversion rate is increased by being specified early in the design phase and just one sale compensates the cost of Semergy.

Rising energy bills is a relevant topic for households in the European Union. The share of household income spent on energy bills is growing and is impacting not only low-income households. Many of existing solutions for lowering energy bills for households are expensive and are targeted at home owners. They include new passive buildings, better insulation of existing buildings and/or generation of locally renewable energy (e.g. geo-thermic, solar, wind). Even though many already proven solutions exist that aim to increase energy efficiency and energy production in buildings via walls and roofs, windows are usually considered as a subject of energy loss and not taken into account for sustainable energy production. Could we optimize certain features of windows, such as blinds, and how should we do it? We believe that in the future, window blinds could add additional warmth in the winter and help to keep rooms cool in the summer; become a source of light; produce electricity; and when needed, block or let light in. By working on the Collect & Reflect project, Saulės vėjo aruodai (SVA) is making first steps to realize this dream by inventing blinds that can heat and cool. SVA, an SME from Lithuania, invents, patents, makes and supplies solar energy transformation products. Recently SVA has invented a break-through solution, Collect & Reflect(TM) thermal blinds, which can help save energy and thus reduce energy bills and decrease the carbon footprint of households. These blinds have innovative technology and special coating that make rooms warmer during the winter and colder in the summer. They help to decrease the need to heat and cool rooms, which results in lower energy bills and lower CO2 emissions. Collect & Reflect(TM) thermal blinds have huge potential to affect the window treatment market worldwide and transform traditional blinds into an active energy saving tool accessible for any household.

ESW proposal outlines the opportunity to develop an innovative technological process which will produce a new constructional material, having higher yields compared with the best alternatives in terms of technical results, economic and environmental footprint performances. That would make ESW advantageous competitor and feasible alternative as structural material representing the best performing material for supporting structure. ESW proposed technology uses Thermo Vacuum Wood (TVW) for manufacturing an outstanding new bio-material which has the potential to replace most commonly used structural materials such as concrete, steel and timber. This novel process will ensure the sustainable supply of raw European materials via extremely environment friendly new solution in construction industry, and will also provide participating SME with the opportunity to derive an ongoing income. The engineered ESW has better technical performances (more resistant, robust, seismic tolerant) in respect to raw wood, laminated wood (glulam), aluminium alloy, concrete. Upon successful completion of this project, the likely benefits to the partners, end-users and society will include: • The ability for manufacturing large-scale ESW constructional components • Significant reduction in carbon emission and consumes of energy via elimination of tropical timber import from extra UE countries • Reduction of toxic and pollutant glues used for manufacturing wood laminated constructional components; • Savings (up to 20% €/m3) for multilayer constructional components compared with wood (non tropical) and glulam ones. • Savings (up 70% €/m3) compared with constructional structures made of tropical timber or other thermotreated woods thanks of the use of local European (low market value) wood ESW is made okìf wood treated with Thermo Vaccum process and glue. Thermo Vacuum Process was funded by Eco innovation in 2012 and gives thermovacuum wood that is strategic for ESW material.

Main objective of this proposal is to launch a novel multifunctional window (MLSYSTEM), which is a glazed insulating glass unit integrated with semi-transparent photovoltaics (panels of all generations) on the EU market. It was developed by a R&D department of ML System. Current available solutions can not be full-competitive to MLSYSTEM. There are PV panels, PV mounting systems, heatable insulated glass units, radiators. The main innovative feature of our technology is a cost-effective integration of properties of all these products. Thanks to 3rd generation solar cells application, higher aesthetic, transparency and better power reduction parameter in relation to any PV technology used so far on Building-Integrated PV sector could be achieved. We intend to contribute to solving one of the European’s main problem, as well as one of the real estate’s market problems. Buildings are the biggest primary energy consumer and Europe’s CO2 emitter. 30% of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or inefficiently. 30-50% of energy loss is attributed to air leakage and heat transfer. One of the main sources of these losses are windows. Our innovative solution allows for environmental-friendly electrical energy production and thermal energy transfer into a heated room simultaneously manner and is much cheaper than competing solutions. At least 39,000 of tons reduction of CO2 emissions will be achieved every year. Moreover the European efficiency-related construction market is expected to double to €140 billion by 2020 from €70 billion in 2011 - we are ready to exploit this business opportunity. Feasibility study will enable us to verify the technological feasibility and economic viability of launching MLSYSTEM on different EU markets, which will contribute to solving the aforementioned problems. PHASE I is only the beginning and we believe it will lead to PHASE II. This will enable us to identify resources needed for commercial implementation of our technology.

Current utility PV installations require a large quantity of PV panels (semiconductors), space (land resources) and are consequently very capital intensive. RayGen offers a proprietary breakthrough utility scale solar energy technology that utilises a field of low cost heliostat collectors to concentrate sunlight onto an ultra-efficient multi-junction photovoltaic cell array located in a mast mounted central receiver. The technology combines the benefits of traditional PV with solar thermal energy installations and leverages several patents and trade secrets. The RayGen CSPV offers unique value to Energy Utility Companies and System integrators, such as 40% less collector area than CPV as well as 65% plant mass, performance 2.4x higher than conventional PV plants with only 0.1% of PV cells, cheaper and easier installation and maintenance, high reliability and most importantly capital expenditure 95% less than traditional PV. RayGen’s technology is also the leader in PV performance, since it presently holds (with the University of New South Wales, Australia) the world record solar system efficiency of 40.4%, independently verified by NREL. The technology has been validated with extensive lab tests and the Australian mother company is already testing the design in a pilot plant in Bridgewater Australia, supported by the Australian Government. The Phase 1 project will be focused on establishing a complete supply chain, a sound business model and commercialization strategy and to plan all activities for deploying a large scale pilot supported by a major energy utility company and partnering system integrator SMEs Nur Energie Ltd, Cautha Srl and Renience Srl.

The project studies the use of a radar based technology to increase revenues and decrease maintenance costs of offshore wind-farms by providing a technology that help wind parks predict and adapt to the wind. Modern wind turbines are adjustable. The angels of rotors and blades can be changed. This is done by a control system optimizing production on a wind park level, or an even greater level. The wind park operator have several objectives to optimize for with the help of wind data. One is to reduce maintenance costs. Sudden wind bursts damage wind turbines, through identifying such wind bursts from a distance the wind park control system can adjust the angles of the blades to deflect the power of the wind. A second is to be able to predict energy output more accurately. This is important as wind park operators often have energy delivery contracts and are penalized if they deliver more or less than predictions. Predictions become more accurate when wind park operators have data on and understanding of the wind resources. A third objective is to harmonize all wind turbines in the park to get the highest possible stable output. This is also based on data on and understanding of the wind resources. There is substantial economic benefits to be gained through improved operation of wind parks. The yearly cost improvements from the system in the European offshore marked alone is estimated to 275 M EURO in 2020 and over 1 000 M Euro in 2030. There is also a potentially much larger positive societal impact. Improvements in the cost-efficiency of wind will help it reach a tipping-point where it is driven forward through commercial motivations rather than government aid. The company have recently completed a major (approx. 1,4 M EUR) government funded research project, and tested the technology together with major commercial companies in wind energy like Statoil (largest Norwegian energy company) and Kongsberg Maritme (large player now entering the wind farm control market.

Customers using traditional horizontal axis wind turbines are facing several problems, such as: noise, unaesthetic appearance so they need to be installed in remote locations. As a result, the power is generated very far from where it is meant to be consumed, causing an energy loss of 20% during the transfer (line-losses); they also need strong winds to function and are expensive to install and maintain. Newenergy21 has designed and developed UrbaVento, an innovative vertical axis wind turbine for decentralized energy-production (smart grid applications as well as off-grid), which features carbon-fibre “wings”, as well as a smart control and fault diagnostic software that simplifies maintenance and troubleshooting and tracks performance and savings. The UrbaVento is a big leap forward compared to current wind turbines due to its unique advantages, which are firstly: its compatibility with the urban environment, since it features silent energy production at low wind speeds, starting from less than 3m/s, while it can produce up to 10 MWh of electricity per year when operating between 7 and 10m/s; it is suited for distributed power production because it can be installed anywhere due to its compact size and attractive appearance. Secondly, it offers a higher return on investment since it is cheaper to install, operate and maintain, due to its low number of moving parts, the absence of a gearbox and the location of all serviceable components are at ground level, enabling the turbine to seamlessly reach its envisaged life-cycle; Thirdly, its wings can be used as a reflective screen, making it an attractive medium for advertising. The Phase 1 project will be focused on establishing a complete supply chain, a sound business model and commercialization strategy, a planning of all activities for deploying a large scale pilot with 10 turbines installed in different locations, as well as the elaboration of an industrialization and marketing plan.