• Energy Research
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Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy source in Europe, accounting for 10.2% of total electricity in 2015, however there is still a need to reduce the overall cost of energy – CoE to increase its competitiveness. The capital costs represents 78% of CoE and can be broken down into several categories, with around 54% attributable to wind turbine, from which the blades represents 30%. CoE can be reduced by maximizing energy production for the site by installing larger turbines. However, as the length of current rotor blades increase, their associated cost and weight increase at a faster rate than the turbine’s power output. Furthermore, as blades get longer they are becoming increasingly more difficult to manufacture and transport setting the limit at 90m. Winfoor (WF) and Marstrom (MC) aim to pursue this market opportunity by bringing to market its innovative and ground-breaking blade technology – Triblade. Triblade is a “3-in-1” modular blade, built as a Composite Material Truss that will allow rotor blades to be longer (up to 50%), stiffer (up to 290%) and lighter (up to 78%), whilst reducing around 65.2% production costs and increasing ease of transport and installation resulting in up to 15.5% CoE reduction. These are game changing improvements that can play an important role in driving the development of next generation of larger turbines and accelerate the transition to greater use of renewables worldwide. TRIBLADE project is expected to significantly enhance WF&MC’s profitability, with expected accumulated revenue of €85M and profits of €40M, 6 years after commercialization. Moreover, the successful achievement of TRIBLADE objectives is expected to assist Europe in achieving objectives to secure a sustainable energy system based on a low-carbon electricity from wind. This project will therefore entail increased competitiveness for the SME value chain and for the EU as a whole.

Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs may account for 30 % of the total cost of energy for offshore wind power. Alarmingly, only after a few years of installation, offshore wind turbines (WT) may need emergency repairs. They also feature an extremely short lifespan hindering investments to green energy, effectively designed to reduce CO2 emissions. We have designed real-time monitoring and diagnostics platform in the context of operation and maintenance scheduling of WT components. Using this architecture, we can quantify the risk of future failure of a given component and trace back the root-cause of the failure. This is business-critical information for Energy Companies and Wind Farm Operators. The platform consists of an autonomous software-hardware solution, implementing an Object Oriented Real-Time Decision Tree learning algorithm for smart monitoring and diagnostics of structural and mechanical WT components. The innovative concept lies in running WT telemetry data through a machine learning based decision tree classification algorithm in real-time for detecting faults, errors, damage patterns, anomalies and abnormal operation. We believe our innovation creates evident value and will raise great interest as decision-support tool for WT manufacturers, Wind Farm Operators, Service Companies and Insurers. In this project, we will carry out pre-commercialisation actions to position ourselves in the market, provide unique selling proposition for future customers as well as raise interest among potential R&D collaborators and pilot customers. We will also establish technology proof of concept for the platform. For the first time, we are applying our design in difficult-to-access energy infrastructure installations and deploying it on a real-world prototype wind turbine. The project will be carried out with technical and commercialisation support from key players within the wind energy industry.

The overall objective of WinWind is to enhance the socially inclusive and environmentally sound market uptake of wind energy by increasing its social acceptance in 'wind energy scarce regions' (WESR). The specific objectives are: screening, analysing, discussing, replicating, testing & disseminating feasible solutions for increasing social acceptance and thereby the uptake of wind energy. The proposal considers from a multidisciplinary perspective the case of WESR in DE, ES, IT, LV, PL and NO. These selected countries represent a variety of realities ranging from large (but with WESR) to very scarce wind energy penetration. WinWind analyses regional and local communities´ specificities, socioeconomic, spatial & environmental characteristics and the reasons for slow market deployment in the selected target regions. Best practices to overcome the identified obstacles are assessed and – where feasible – transferred. The operational tasks are taken up by national/regional desks consisting of the project partners, market actors and stakeholders in each country. The project´s objectives will be reached by: i) analysing the inhibiting and driving factors for acceptance, ii) developing a taxonomy of barriers to identify similarities and differences in development patterns , iii) carrying out stakeholder dialogues in all participating regions, iv) developing acceptance-promoting measures that are transferable to specific local, regional and national contexts, and v) transferring feasible best practice solutions via learning labs. WinWind develops concrete solutions. The activities focus on novel informal/voluntary procedural participation of communities, direct and indirect financial participation & benefit sharing. Finally, policy lessons with validity across Europe are drawn and recommendations proposed. Already 62 stakeholders and market actors provided letters of support showing their commitment in supporting the WindWind activities and in implementing useful results.

Wind power is a key component in the transition towards a society based on renewable energy. However, wind turbine operation and maintenance costs remain high and represent a third of the total costs of energy. Maintenance of critical components can be drastically reduced through early fault detection using advanced sensor signals. However, current analysis methods are highly manual and do not scale well. The EU-funded PAVIMON project is focused on the implementation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data from these sensor streams. The aim is to increase the resource efficiency of signal analysis and improve predictive capabilities. The PAVIMON project will effectuate a feasibility study at technical, transformational and commercial levels.

The proposed Action will support analytical work carried out in the context of the IEA-Morocco Joint Work Programme (JWP). Under the JWP, which came into effect on 28 June 2017, the IEA will provide technical support and advice to assist Morocco in developing a strategy to design an integrated assessment of long-term low carbon energy transition pathways. The IEA-Morocco work programme will include capacity building and training in data and statistics; modelling and support for the de-carbonisation programme. The IEA will also provide advice on further energy price liberalisation and energy security in the oil, gas and electricity sectors. It will also advise the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development (MEMDD) and related stakeholders on optimal technologies and best practices that can be implemented to help Morocco attain its Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy targets. It is anticipated that EU support will cover the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy work streams outlined in the JWP. In addition to on-site visits, IEA experts will host interactive webinars in English with Moroccan energy efficiency stakeholders on mutually agreed priority areas. The IEA could also assist MEMDD and the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency (AMEE) in assessing the economic and other conditions for a push towards clean, electric cooking. The main purpose of this activity would be to ensure that energy efficiency measures are accelerated and run parallel with renewable energy deployment. This proposal relates to item 57 in the Horizon 2020 Work Programme for 2016-2017. This action will be instrumental in supporting Morocco’s transition to a reliable, sustainable and competitive energy system, in particular in Horizon 2020 priority areas such as reduction in energy consumption and carbon footprint; generation and transmission of lower-cost, low-carbon electricity; new knowledge and technologies;

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 mimimum maintenance. IceWind has therefore identified a business opportunity for a rugged and durable VAWT intended for extreme wind conditions with a power capacity range between 300W to 1,000W and focused on on-site small applications that require a continuous 100% green energy source of reduced carbon footprint and will bring down energy bills of customers through self-generation and consumption. 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 spin elegantly, non-stop and noiseless at high speed winds. 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, and Ireland) and 2) owners of telecom towers worldwide. Expected total net income from selling NJORD turbines after deducting costs of purchase, manufacture and distribution fees amounts to a cumulative 10.32M€ along with the creation of over 140 skilled works in IceWind and partners worldwide for the 2020-2024 period.

Roughly 40% of the current global energy demand is consumed in commercial and residential buildings. Thanks to advances in technology, Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV) have emerged, enabling all buildings to become electricity producers and strive towards self-sustainability. Due to stringent energy efficiency norms in the EU, demand for BIPV products is soaring: PV incorporated in shells of multi-story buildings is required for supplying these high rise structures with energy. But also other artificial structures, e.g. sound barriers along highways, shall be used for energy provision, without further impact on the environment. Yet, truly integrated and aesthetic BIPV modules are currently neither available in commercial volumes nor at sustainable costs. Prices of products with still limited adaptability hinder the actual market growth. crystalsol addresses these shortcomings with a patented and entirely new type of cost-efficient, flexible and transparent PV technology where advantages of an efficient and stable monocrystalline absorber and low cost roll-to-roll (R2R) module production are combined. Due to the reason that crystalsol is able to produce semi-finished modules that allow full integration into building elements without any expensive and complex integration steps, BIPV products can pricewise finally compete with standard building shell elements (like facades without PV). This offers a huge competitive advantage, resulting in an enormous potential in the BIPV market. This Feasibility Study (cs-BIPV-FS) will bring crystalsol closer to the market entry stage. It will be a first step towards full commercialisation before upscaling the company’s operations and production processes. The cs-BIPV-FS project will help to analyse and conclude the technical feasibility and commercial potential of the ground-breaking BIPV technology, resulting in advancing the innovative technological concept into a credible business case.

FloatMast is a floating platform that performs the best wind data measurements for the most promising and advanced Blue Energy activity, Offshore Wind Parks (OWPs). These wind measurements are vital for the cost benefit analysis of OWPs as they are used in the estimation of the annual income. Moreover, the wind measurements are also critical to the definition of the Operation and Maintenance costs as they are used in the design specification of the OWP’s turbines, towers and foundations. The wind measurements collected by FloatMast are according to the highest industry standard (IEC 61400-12-1) and provide the greatest net benefit to the Developers of OWPs. It can perform wind measurements at a 70% lower cost, by combining the best features from the two existing solutions: the meteorological mast and the Lidar remote sensor device on a stable floating platform. Furthermore, it is re-usable and provides the added value of being re-deployed in other locations of interest. It can be used at all stages of the life cycle of the OWP, from the design phase to the development and operational phase and until the decommissioning phase, twenty years later. Moreover, the platform can perform multi-purpose measurements as it can incorporate oceanographic instruments and environmental sensors, providing a fully integrated solution for a complete monitoring of the OWP site. The innovation has been developed by two Greek SMEs, it has been patented and certified, tested in a tank test at a 1:25 scale model, constructed at 1:1 physical scale, launched to the sea and conducted a series of tests with perfect compliance. The design and hydrodynamic behavior of the platform have been proven and the next stage involves enhancements and upgrades. Finally, the platform must undergo a demonstration phase in the operational environment in order to provide the needed verification of its operational capabilities and advance the already 2,3 m Euros investment to the commercialization phase.

The project objective is to design, implement and promote a reliable, efficient and profitable system able to supply heating and hot water in buildings mainly from renewable sources. The proposed system is based in the optimal combination of solar thermal (ST) energy production, seasonal heat storage and high efficient heat pump use. Heat pumps will be improved technically in order to obtain the best performace in the special conditions of the CHESS-SETUP system. The used solar panels will be hybrid photovoltaic and solar thermal (PV-ST) panels, which is a promising solution for also producing the electricity consumed by the heat and water pumps of the heating system and part of the electricity consumed in the building. Hybrid solar panels are a key element to achieving energy self-sufficiency in buildings, especially in dense urban areas where the roof availability is one of the most limiting factors. Also will be considered the integration of other energy sources as biomass or heat waste, to make the system suitable for any climate conditions. The project will also explore the possibility to integrate the system with other electricity or cooling technologies (solar cooling, cogeneration). The system operation will be optimized according to some external factors, as electricity price or user requirements by using a smart control and management systems developed specifically for the project. This proposal will be materialized in three pilot experiences: a small-scale prototype in Lavola's headquarters (Spain), 50 new dwellings located in Corby (England) and a new sport centre located in Sant Cugat (Spain).

Skyscrapers building technology marked a turning point in the construction sector: Due to the great heights of those buildings, the only way to build them is with a crane which rises in the manner the skyscraper does. Inspired by that idea, we developed the AIRCRANE SYSTEM. The wind energy sector currently has a main objective: decrease the Levelized Cost of produced Energy (LCoE), in order to be comparable to other energy sources in the coming years. The strategies to decrease are mainly concentrated in two action groups: Reduce the cost of wind turbines and capture as much energy as possible. Regarding the second group, manufacturers are convinced the best way is to create more powerful turbines (up to 8 MW) and install the nacelle and rotor at greater heights, where the wind blows harder and there are less turbulences. The market requires taller towers, supporting heavier loads on top as well. The only alternative, due to steel tower's limitations, is to make at least the lower part with concrete. But the concrete weak point is its weight, which requires the use of largest crawlers and cranes: very expensive machines and with a limited number of units worldwide. The AIRCRANE SYSTEM is a brand new technology that serves to assembly concrete wind-turbine towers, with theoretically infinite height: the Aircrane system is based on a external self-climbing crane which rises as the construction of the tower does, once its completed and built, the system will lift the nacelle and blades. There are two main advantages: (1) Radically reduce current construction costs in the tallest concrete towers, and additionally (2) open a new market-niche, being able to construct towers with no height limits. Successful project completion represents a significant business opportunity for our SME, with expected REVENUES of € 32,5/58,5 million within 5/7 years and the creation of 98/167 Direct Jobs, and 176/307 Indirect jobs