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The aim of the EK200-AWESOME project is to bring the EK200 to market - an integrated 100 kW container based airborne wind energy (AWE) converter and storage solution catering to off-grid applications and mobile end-uses. The EK200 can be deployed stand-alone or in arrays. The EK200 could also shape the future for AWE and provide basis and principles for up-scaled MW units Motivation The EK200 will add to renewables’ part of the energy-mix and support off-grid micro-grids providing distributed and diverse power sources for geographically remote communities or industrial activities Solution The physical height of conventional wind turbines is limited by the enormous stresses on the structure and by mechanical resonance phenomena. The EK200 will replace the most effective part of a conventional wind turbine, the tip of the rotor blade, by a tethered kite - operating economically even at low-wind onshore locations. USPs: * Low Cost of Secure Energy: Ultra high capacity factors, yielding > 5,000 full load hours pa * Portability and minimal interference: Less than 5% of the material resources used in a conventional wind mill with the same yield * Uninterrupted Power Supply: Tapping into stable and abundant high altitude winds * Ease of Maintenance: Least amount of moving airborne parts in the industry * Flexibility in Operation: Portable units. Smart control technology Project Outputs Commercialization of the EK200 is a high risk/high reward action. As a result we are conducting a Feasibility Study, resulting in a complete Business Plan, taking a into account end-user needs, market analysis, cost assessment, IP validation, pilot design and risk assessment - all feeding into our go-to-market strategy Opportunity High power reliability level and the need for an effective demand-response load management present a conducive ecosystem for off-grid to flourish. We seek to capture a share in this attractive market valued at EURbn 2.8 in 2014, growing to EURbn 6.3 in 2019

The objective of the innovation project is to demonstrate our low-cost and efficient thermal energy storage technology, and introduce the technology to the market. Similar to how electric energy is stored in a battery, inside an EnergyNest storage, thermal energy is stored in a state-of-the-art concrete-like storage medium which is named HEATCRETE® at temperatures of 425 °C or more. In the project, the goal is to demonstrate storing energy from waste heat/power from industrial applications, surplus or curtailed wind energy, and to return the energy as either heat (process steam), electricity or a combination of both (combined heat and power – CHP). The feasibility study (phase 1) is aiming to get an agreement established with at least one commercial partner to build a first demonstrator. Our technology is unique as it is purely based on commodity materials, has a lifetime of over 50 years and can be built anywhere. Most of the components can be sourced locally which reduces the CO2 emissions due to transport. The used materials are non-hazardous and recyclable (steel, concrete and insulation material). Our solution helps to make renewable power generation economically more attractive by better utilizing wind assets through avoiding to waste or curtail energy. This will help to promote growth of renewable energy and to reduce base-load capacity provided by conventional power plants. Our approach is to store and reuse waste heat to produce electricity, process steam or district heating when the demand is not matching the supply.

PROBLEM: 1.1 billion people, most of whom live in developing regions of Asia and Africa, lack access to electricity. The primary light source for them are kerosene lamps, which are not only costly, but also has negative impact on human health, resulting in illness and even mortalities. Existing solar-powered products are too expensive for households with a $20 monthly income. Booming trends of mobile subscriptions and smartphone adoption in developing countries mean there is also a growing need to charge the phones. SOLUTION: Solet Technics has developed a prototype of a mobile solar power generator, PAWAME which offers a cheap and reliable access to electricity for off-grid households. The company is planning to distribute PAWAME solution using local agents, and infrastructure, payment system and brand recognition of Telcos, which enables fast market uptake and scaling of the product. It will also be easy and convenient for the user to pay for electricity via phone. The ‘rent-to-own’ model makes the product accessible to low income households: no upfront investments needed. User-friendly and unique product design enables simple usage for the end-user. Customer can login to see his payment plan information, usage data, etc. Unique product features also include theft protection – PAWAME sends its location and if somebody tries to force to open it, it is remotely notified and can be tracked and traced all the time. The device has been tailored to fit to the needs of both end-user and Telcos. NEXT STEPS: Thorough market analysis and an elaboration of a business plan is needed in order to define strategic commercialization. This feasibility study will be a crucial step towards commercialization of Solarize. Further in the future, Solet Technics plans to bring PAWAME to industrial readiness and maturity for introduction to the global market, providing solar electricity to more than 200 thousand households and generating profit of 3 million euros by the year 2020

The main objective of the project is the organization of the international conference “SET Plan 2016 - Central European Energy Conference X” during the presidency of the Slovak Republic in the second half of 2016. The SET Plan 2016 conference will be conjoined with the 10th annual Central European Energy Conference (CEEC X). The conference will aim to examine the process of accelerating the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies and creating the European Energy Union, focusing on the research and innovation strategy. Its ambition is to improve the visibility of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan and Energy Union, to identify policy options and priorities and to plan future actions. Based on that, the proposal stipulate these the main objectives of the SET Plan 2016 – Central European Energy Conference X: to examine achievements in the implementation of the Energy Union with a special focus on the role of its Research & Innovation dimension; to assess progress and evaluate the role of Central European member states in the implementation of the goals of the Energy Union within the other four priority dimensions of the Energy Union, including security of supply, creation of an integrated energy market, improving energy efficiency and reduction of emissions; to create a platform for a discussion, dialogue and networking for member states, civil society, business, science and academia, regional and local authorities and other stakeholders in the area of strategic energy technologies; to foster visibility and understanding of the Energy Union and the topic of Strategic Energy Technologies, and to disseminate information. Planned activities include plenaries and panel discussions with international keynote speaker, parallel thematic dinner sessions, side events, poster session and social events.

In this Proof-of-Concept project we will create a completely new kind of integrated energy solution platform based on thermoelectric (TE) heat energy harvesting materials that are capable of converting various types of heat flows directly into electricity. The strong basis for the project is the new oxide-based thermoelectric inorganic-organic hybrid materials discovered in the PI's ERC Advanced Grant Project “Molecular-Layer-Engineered Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials (LAYERENG-HYBMAT)”. These hybrid thin-film materials are fabricated by the combined atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) technique which uniquely allows for fabrication of highly conformal thin-film coatings on various flexible, sensitive, functional and/or nanostructured surfaces. Within this PoC project we will (1) design and construct a few prototype devices based on the flexible inorganic-organic thin-film thermoelectrics and (2) integrate the devices with novel material platforms (textiles, polymers, coatings). The novel integrated TE energy solutions will enable heat-based energy harvesting for usage scenarios that are not possible with the existing bulky and fragile TE materials/generators. In addition, (3) the market for flexible thermoelectric generators will be analysed and the commercialisation and the IPR strategies will be created for TE generation solutions.

Extreme weather conditions (i.e. strong and unsteady winds, icing, etc.) - that countries such as Iceland and the other four Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland), the UK, Ireland, Canada´s Prairies, Northern US, Russia, and Nigeria along with high altitude sites face - make traditional wind turbines (horizontal-axis) to spin out of control resulting in catastrophic system failure in the first year of operation. As a result, these locations needed a different kind of wind technology capable of working over a wide production range (whether it’s in the stormy afternoon, in hurricanes or on calm and icy winter nights in the range of -10 to -30 °C) with virtually no need of maintenance. Thus, IceWind has created a rugged, standalone, and cost-effective vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) of unique and fabulous blade design, great durability and nearly maintenance-free for off-grid applications that require a continuous (no cut-outs) source of power (electricity and heating). The excellent match of aerodynamics and materials give our NJORD turbines unique features such as optimal structural stability, strength, and hence durability to withstand the most extreme wind conditions. Our VAWT can produce electricity at very low wind speeds as well as for high speed of strong winds spinning elegantly, non-stop, and noiseless. As for our commercial strategy, we plan to respond: 1) directly to individual end-users of isolated areas for residential applications (i.e. cabins, homes, and small farms) mainly in Iceland and other EU countries (i.e. the other four Nordics, the UK, Ireland, etc.), 2) telecommunication operators for telecom towers worldwide, and 3) developing countries such as Nigeria, all demanding a reliable and sustainable source of power generation. Expected profit after deducting costs of purchase, manufacture and distribution fees amounts to a cumulative 20M€ turnover market opportunity for the 2020-2024 period.