The future of earthquake-resilient housing in Japan

 CCRES promotes Levitating homes 



A Japanese firm is turning to levitation as a means of safeguarding earthquake-prone homes against damaging tremors.
 An in-a-nutshell explanation: When an earthquake hits, a seismic sensor triggers the system and within a second, an air tank blasts a powerful layer of compressed air in between the home and its artificial foundation. As a result, the home lifts from the foundation and hovers in mid-air at around 3 centimeters (a little over an inch). When the shaking subsides, the floating home gently falls back into place.

Wood or Pellet

Pellet, biomass and wood

Since 1980 the U.S. and Canada have produced wood pellet, in Austria and Scandinavia it appears on the market in 1990, since 2000 this fuel has spread in Germany and the United Kingdom, soon enjoying great popularity.

The pellet market is therefore a highly internationalized market, less than half of the Italian consumption is covered by domestic production, the majority of pellets consumed in Italy comes from Central Europe, Eastern Europe and North America. Last year 1.75 million tons of pellets arrived in Europe from North America. This situation is mainly due to greater availability of forest products and confirmed the robustness of the wood sector in countries close to us such as Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Bosnia, Romania, Poland, the Baltic countries.

Choosing a wood or pellet stove as a heating system for your home means to mediate between two important aspects: design and technology of the product. Without detracting from the importance of the aesthetic, that points to a model rather than another, and which has close ties to taste and personality, here we want to examine choices of a more technical nature, aiming to have a heating perfectly in line with needs.
In recent years, stoves have passed significant technological change. They have in fact witnessed the transition from old systems with manual to modern automatic control and digital devices, to get to thermo- stoves, which can, alone, meet the needs of an entire apartment. Modern wood stoves also ensure low emissions of greenhouse gases, energy content and greater cost savings compared to fossil fuels such as natural gas, diesel and LPG./p>
Wood stoves have cast iron firebox or refractory material to spread slowly accumulated heat. The air that powers combustion mainly enters through the grid at the sides of the stove or in lower areas. A pyrometer or automatic register allows you to automatically open or close, thus regulating the draft in the stove and then the intensity of the flame. Heat warms the air making it escape from the upper grid and is distributed in the environment by means of fans that regulate air flow. The ash produced is collected in the tray located under the stove easy to remove and clean.
"Air" products are great for small houses like two or three rooms in which, through an appropriate drainage system, heat generated can be broadcast in all rooms.
There are also "water" stoves that allow the production of hot water for radiators and domestic use. Compared to the type mentioned above, these stoves exchange heat with water generated by combustion of the heating systems easily integrating with traditional or low temperature systems (such as radiant floor or ceiling) allowing you to distribute heat in a more optimal and significantly way raising the efficiency of the generator or wood pellets.
The wood-fired generators are then listed on the basis of the material of which the boiler is built, stainless steel models are currently used, especially for the stoves in a modern style and have the advantage of being not only lighter but also of heating the rooms in a few minutes.
There are also models of stone or brick, widespread in rural and mountain areas. Their characteristic is to be internally made of refractory material and be free of elements in cast iron or steel, except the door for the supply of fuel.
For outer coverings, the choice is wide: classic ones are majolica hand made, ceramic or marble, while in other cases it may require customized designs. Stone tiled and oil stoves also heat by radiation: the walls of the oven get very hot, and continue to give off heat in the environment for several hours even after the flame has been extinguished.
Devices of this type have yields ranging from 83% to over 90% and all these values are written on the label serial number of the stove.
Let's see what information it must include:
1) if the product is CE marked or not (non-CE products may not be sold in the country). The indication EN 14785:2006, which is the European reference standard for pellet stoves and indicates test method adopted
2) the power of the stove (shown in kW)
3) its performance in% (the higher the yield, the lower the pellet / wood burned to heat)
4) the manufacturer
5) the value of CO (of course, the more this value is low less pollutant the product is).
This value must be less than 0.04% at the maximun operating speed and than 0.06% at the minimum (UNI EN 14785).
For proper installation of the stove it is necessary to provide for a certain distance on the sides and back, from both sides, also from flammable objects.
Depending on the product, between the walls and the heater there should be left a space of 15-35 cm and 30-60 cm at the rear sides.
If warm air comes out also from the back side of the generator, facing a wall, install an insulation and fireproof panel and before placing the stove on floors, carpets, rugs or flammable materials, prepare a medium fire resistant, like a steel plate or glass, which must extend at least 30 cm from each side of the stove.
For proper operation, please place the heater in a location where you can guarantee the flow of air needed for combustion and adequate smoke evacuation.
Equally important is the correct shape of the chimney. The air flow must go through permanent openings on the walls towards the outside. These must not be blocked nor inside or outside and must be protected with metal grids.
The chimney should be of a windproof and consisting of a number of elements such that the sum of their section, outgoing, always doubles that of the chimney.
The chimney must be positioned so as to exceed the height of the roof of about 500 mm, allowing the drag of smoke out the chimney even in the presence of strong horizontal winds.
Regarding the average cost of firewood, it has different prices depending on the area: in the mountains, where it is easy to find from local suppliers, it costs less than in the city or the sea. The costs vary between 10 and 17 euros per quintal. For the stove, wood consumption with a humidity of 20% and an average temperature is about 2-4 kg per hour. In mountain areas, in summer, you can also stock up on firewood in the woods. A pack of 20 kg of briquettes pressed costs about 3.5 euros, while pellets costs about 37 euros per quintal but the yield is higher than that of wood.

Fuel	Cost per unit (3)	Net calorific value	Average yield 87% (4)	Unit cost for 1 kWh
Wood (1)	0,15 €	4,0 kWh/kg	3,48 kWh/kg	0,043 €
Pellet	0,28 €	5,0 kWh/kg (2)	4,35 kWh/kg	0,064 €
Methane	0,85 €	9,5 kWh/m3	8,27 kWh/m3	0,103 €
Diesel	1,15 €	10,0 kWh/l	8,70 kWh/l	0,132 €
LPG	0,84 €	7,0 kWh/l	6,09 kWh/l	0,138 €

Notes:
(1) Wood beech type with 15% humidity;
(2) Per kg average calorific value reported by major manufacturers;
(3) The cost must be considered according to the unit of measurement expressed in equivalent calorific value;
(4) Methane generators of type condensation each year have a rate of return close to 95-98%.
To calculate the approximate need to heat an apartment with a stove between 10kW with an efficiency of 87% in its operation at the maximum power consumed in one hour: 10 / (5 * 0.87) = 2.29kg
To simulate the operation of the generator is estimated to a minimum the power reduced to one third, resulting in consumption was 765 grams of pellets per hour.
With regard to the maintenance of these generators, it must be done once a year maybe in the period in which the device is not used by a service center, authorized by the manufacturer of the product. On that occasion, the technicians must clean the fireplace insert, the gray scale combustion and eliminate blocking holes that may form. Finally, the service center must also verify the proper operation and calibration of automatic loading system if it were installed.
The domestic heating by wood stoves can facilitate not only from the standpoint of energy savings but also to the front "taxes", according to particular conditions.
Generators and wood pellets, if settled instead of a gas or oil boiler, can access the tax rebate of 55% (paragraph 344 of the 2007 Budget extended until 2010) if they follow the following conditions:
a) have an efficiency rating in accordance with the minimum Class 3 of the standard EN 303-5;
b) comply with emission limits set out in Annex IX to Part Five of the D. Decree No 3/4/06 152 and subsequent amendments and additions, or the most restrictive limits set by regional standards, if any (For generators with a power rating greater than 0.035 MW (35 kW);
c) use biomass fuels included between those eligible under Annex X Part Five of the same Decree. 152/2006 and subsequent amendments and additions.
d) ensure, to the only buildings located in climate zones C, D, E, F, that the values of the transmittance of closures and similar, such as doors, windows and shop windows shall comply with the limits given in Table 4 ° C to Annex Legislative Decree no. 192/05;
e) to declare compliance with the afore mentioned requirements in the declaration completed by a qualified technician and in the transmission of the necessary documentation to ENEA for access to facilities.
In this case the VAT rate of 10% applies both the supply of goods or services if the goods supplied are not considered "significant." If the good provided is "significant" (such as boilers) the VAT to be applied should be calculated as per Law 488/99, article 7.
Finally, in case of combined wood / gas or wood / diesel deduction must be required only for wood-burning generator.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources

 special thanks to

Andrea Bernardi
Consulente Energetico
Studio Tecnico Bernardi
www.studiobernardi.eu

A Traffic Infographic

PetroAlgae

Video Tour of Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, 2012

News and Events by CCRES March 07, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources  News and Events March 07, 2012

News and Events Offshore Wind Gets $180 Million Boost from DOE DOE announced on March 1 the start of an initiative to capture wind energy off U.S. coasts. As part of a planned six-year, $180 million initiative, an initial $20 million will be available this year as the first step in supporting up to four innovative offshore wind energy installations. These offshore wind projects will accelerate the deployment of breakthrough wind power technologies that will help diversify the U.S. energy portfolio. Offshore wind resources in the United States are estimated at more than 4,000 gigawatts. The demonstration projects will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes. In addition to the new funding, DOE is continuing to work with partners across the federal government to implement a comprehensive offshore wind energy strategy, conduct resource assessments, and streamline siting and permitting processes. Applicants to the competitive solicitation are expected to form consortia of energy project developers, equipment suppliers, research institutions, and marine-installation specialists. DOE funds may be used to cover up to 80% of a project's design costs and 50% of the hardware and installation costs. Applications are due on May 31, 2012. See the DOE press release and the funding opportunity details. DOE Offers $6 Million for Fuel Cell EV Data Collection DOE announced on March 1 that up to $6 million will be available this year to collect and analyze valuable performance and durability data for light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Projects selected will gather data from next-generation FCEVs as they are operated in real-world conditions. The goal is to identify ways to lower costs, improve fuel cell durability, and increase overall vehicle performance. DOE seeks applicants to design and implement projects to monitor the performance and durability of advanced FCEVs for up to five years. The projects—which share costs equally—will supply information on fuel cell system operation and other vehicle data to the Hydrogen Secure Data Center at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for analysis and comparison. Data will be collected from various makes and models of FCEVs so that engineers and scientists can measure the performance and technical progress of a range of fuel cell systems. The conclusions drawn from the data by NREL will help identify and focus future research and development efforts and gauge progress toward fuel cell performance and cost targets. See the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy progress alert, the Funding Opportunity Exchange website, and the Fuel Cell Technologies Program website. ARPA-E Issues Call for Transformational Energy Technologies DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) issued a $150 million funding opportunity on March 2 that is open to all transformational energy technologies. This Open Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is a call to scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to propose early-stage research projects that would not otherwise be able to attract private investment. Such projects could lead to breakthrough energy technologies. This is the second Open FOA released under ARPA-E. The open call includes electricity generation by renewable means; electricity transmission, storage, and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use; and all aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of renewable fuels, electrification, and energy efficiency in transportation. Individual awards under the Open FOA will range between $250,000 and $10 million. See the DOE press release and the FOA announcement on the Funding Opportunity Exchange website. California is Top Renewable State: Report A new ranking of states released on February 28 gives California the lead in terms of overall renewable energy suitability. Ernst & Young issued United States Renewable Attractiveness Indices, which focuses on diverse renewable energy markets, energy infrastructures, and their suitability for individual technologies. Following California in the "All Renewables Index" were New Mexico, Colorado, and Hawaii, with Massachusetts and Texas tied for fifth place, the report said. New Mexico and Colorado rated highly because of consistent growth and strong potential across all renewable energy technologies. Massachusetts and Texas tied because of strong solar and wind investment respectively. In separate renewable indices, Maine topped the biomass category and finished second in geothermal. Illinois ranked fourth in the long-term wind index. Future reports will be released semiannually, Ernst & Young said. See the Ernst & Young press release and the full report. Ford Focus Electric Vehicle Earns Top EPA Mileage Rating The Ford Focus Electric has earned a top miles per gallon equivalent rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the automaker said. Credit: Ford Ford Motor Company announced on March 2 that its new Focus Electric was U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified as having a city rating of 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) and a highway rating of 99 MPGe. The Detroit automaker said that its rating makes it the most fuel-efficient five-passenger car in the United States. The car can travel 76 miles on a single charge. The EPA had not officially posted the numbers at the time of the announcement. Also, Ford said that the Focus Electric has been certified at a combined rating—city and highway—of 105 MPGe. In the latest published EPA ratings, the 2012 Nissan Leaf has a combined rating of 99 MPGe. General Motors’ 2012 Chevrolet Volt, a plug in hybrid electric vehicle (EV), has a combined gas/electricity rating of 60 MPGe. Ford said that when it adds the new 2013 Ford Fusion to its line, it would be the world's most fuel-efficient gas- and hybrid-powered midsize sedan. See the Ford press release.

University Teams Tackle Efficiency's Barriers for Buildings On March 2, Energy Secretary Steven Chu joined a group of bright, ambitious university students for the finale of the Better Buildings Case Competition in Washington, D.C. The initiative, part of the president's Better Buildings Challenge, taps into the innovative, out-of-the-box thinking of university energy clubs—tasking them to devise comprehensive solutions to persistent barriers to energy-efficiency for buildings in the marketplace. As part of the competition, students analyzed four case studies—using real-world scenarios and data provided by partners in the DOE Better Buildings Challenge—to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Secretary Chu announced the winners for each case study, based on two categories: most innovative solution and best proposal. Read the whole story in the DOE Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

Protect Solar Jobs!

 

Berlin, Germany – "We are the energy transition!" read one of the many placards hoisted in the air at the Germany-wide "Stop the Solar Energy Exit" demonstration at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Monday. According to the event's organizers, 11,000 people were on hand for the protest against the Merkel government's energy policies. 

 

The protesters and speakers from the three main opposition parties – the Social Democrats, Greens, and the Left Party – as well as the solar power industry, and several major trade unions accused the center-right government of undermining Germany’s historic Energiewende, or energy transition. In the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, the government shut down half of its nuclear power plantsand pledged to accelerate the country’s transition to renewable energies.
Yet, nearly a year down the road, there is still no overreaching strategy for Germany to meet the ambitious targets it set for itself, including having 36 percent of its electricity generated by green sources in 2020. Moreover, in recent weeks the government announced a draft law that includes hefty reduction in the subsidies that solar power receives from its Feed-in Tariff. A second element in the draft law shifts responsibility for the amount of renewable electricity eligible for support from parliament to the ministries. This has Energiewende proponents worried that investors will be subject to short-term ministry decisions that will undermine security of planning and financing of projects.
The moves triggered a storm of protest from the solar industry, members of which claim that the abrupt and steep cuts will endanger Germany’s aggressive solar energy development and jeopardize tens of thousands of jobs.
Günther Cramer, president of the German Solar Energy Association (BSW-Solar), kicked off the demonstration saying, “The goals of the energy transition can not be achieved when solar energy’s growth is strangled. The vast majority of Germans are in favor of an ambitious expansion of renewable energies and solar,” he said, referring to opinion polls. He demanded that the government, “Not disrespect the will of the people.” Only the giant energy companies will profit from a reduction in solar energy's capacity in Germany, he underscored. “We’re taking a piece of their market. That’s why solar energy is a thorn in their side.”
The demonstration, on a cold but brilliantly sunny day, had a strikingly different feel than the anti-nuclear energy demonstrations in recent years, the largest of which in Berlin last year drew nearly 250,000 people. At this event, the solar power industry and its workers turned out in full force. Some in their work clothes, others in t-shirts that read “Protect Solar Jobs,” they wielded printing-shop-produced posters and orange balloons. The demonstrators traveled to Berlin from across the country, even as far away as Bavaria and Denmark.
Likewise, the ample number of trade unionists present was exceptional. For decades the unions had been at odds with the concerns of the environmental and anti-nuclear movements, which they claimed was elitist and would cost jobs. Now, as the Social Democrats’ party leader Sigmar Gabriel put it at the demonstrations, the renewable energy industry provides people jobs in parts of the country where there hadn’t been any jobs at all. The goal, he said, was to double them, not to lose them all. "It’s not just about the solar industry,” he said, explicitly linking jobs to environmental concerns. “It’s about whether we’re going to make the Energiewende happen or not.”

 By Paul Hockenos, Contributor

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources 

special thanks to

                              RenewableEnergyWorld.com

South-East European Congress Exhibition on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

CROATIAN CENTER OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

1.   US Export-Import Bank: Renewable Energy & Environmental Program 2.   Announcements from our exhibitors        •    Biogest        •    Canadian Solar        •    Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG        •    Gamesa Electric        •    JCS Solar 3.    Announcements from our partners        •    EnergyTrend        •    IAIR (International Alternative Investment Review)        •    REVOLVE        •    save-more-energy.com

US Export-Import Bank: Renewable Energy & Environmental Program

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government. It was established in 1934 for the purposes of financing and insuring foreign purchases of United States goods and services to foreign buyers.   In 2010, the Bank launched the Renewable Energy & Environmental Finance practice, a dedicated group to oversee credit underwriting in the related fields. Since then, the group has financed solar, wind, gasificiation and other such projects around the world, most notably to project developers and other such buyers of US goods throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia. In fiscal year 2011, the Bank authorized almost $750 million of renewable energy loans, of which approximately $600 million was for solar projects.   Due to the popular growth of Ex-Im activities in this field, the Bank launched initiatives to meet the increased demand for financing small solar-power transactions. Under this program, called “Renewable Energy Express”, the Bank will be able to consider financing for small solar and wind power producers seeking loans of $3 million to $10 million.   More about the Renewable Energy & Environmental Program will be presented by Timothy C. Kim during  the session EE & RES Financing on the 8th Congress for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for South-East Europe.

JCS Solar

JCS Solar is a subsidiary of JZ Group, and a vertically-integrated photovoltaic manufacturer with a complete production chain that covers all from ingot casting, wafer slicing, cell production, module assembly to system integration and inverter manufacturing. With integrated mode, we provide our clients with superior and cost-effective products.                                                                         Our plant is located in Yichang City in Hubei Province, beside the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam. The producing area is about 25 acres(100,000㎡) and currently we have more than 1,800 employees, a number steadily growing. Production capacity of JCS Solar is 240MW in 2011 and will be 600MW in 2012. Our sales and service network has been established around the world, with global sales center in Shanghai, European headquarter in Munich and international logistics center in Rotterdam and Antwerp, and branch office in Sofia, Bulgaria. JZ Group is specialized in real estate development, investments of renewable energy projects, Agriculture, Construction materials and Business consulting and Logistics. Since the foundation of JZ Group in 2002, the Group is growing stronger and stronger with branches covering different areas, distributing its own endeavor to the economic development of Yichang City. JZ Group is speeding forward with the opportunities and supports provided by the local government, and scientific management system, and advanced technology, aiming at becoming a competitive Large-scale integrated green energy supplier.

Biogest

Biogest is an international biogas plant manufacturer based in Austria. Other sites are in Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.   The biogas plants are installed in well-established Biogest PowerRing technology, which has advantages especially in Central and Eastern Europe with regard to energy efficiency, reliability and availability.   The core competencies range from project development, planning, financing to the turnkey construction and operation of biogas plants with sizes between 500 kW and 3,500 kW.   In recent years Biogest has strongly expanded its market position as a specialist in the emerging markets for biogas. Based on over 40 existing reference plants in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, further order intake from the Czech Republic and first contracts for biogas projects in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Serbia have been recorded.   Biogas as a renewable energy sources has technological, environmental and economic benefits. Energy can be generated 365 days per year, any day or night. Due to its availability, biogas plays an important role in the mix of renewable energy from water, sun and wind. Besides the contribution to achieving the climate protection goals, the dependency on energy imports can thereby be reduced. The decentralized power generation also guarantees a sustainable local supply.

Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar: one of the world’s largest solar companies   Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is one of the world's largest solar companies. As a leading vertically integrated provider of ingot, wafer, solar cell, solar module and other solar applications, Canadian Solar designs, manufactures and delivers solar products and solar system solutions for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Canadian Solar provides premium quality, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solar solutions to support global, sustainable development

Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG

We trust in our products and constantly strive to improve their quality – this gives us confidence enough to grant 10 years of warranty for most of our PLATINUM® products. The warranty can be extended to 20 years. Our patented Dive® technology gives PLATINUM® inverters a maximum efficiency of 98%. “Get up earlier, work later” – the device will start feeding at only one thousandth of its power, even if the irradiation is very low. Before leaving our factory, all inverters have to pass a thorough six-step quality test. PLATINUM® inverters are extremely robust and very reliable. Along with their exceptionally low failure rate, these features make our products the perfect system components. In the training centre of our headquarters in Wangen im Allgäu, we hold training courses on all PLATINUM® products for retail dealers, sales staff and installers on a regular basis. Our PLATINUM® service experts will answer any questions regarding the design, support and startup of monitoring systems and help you find solutions for difficult situations - quick and professional, on the phone or directly in the field.

Gamesa Еlectric

Manufacturer of PV central inverters since 1993 we offer 100, 500, 630 kW central plus inverters and 1, 1,2 mW solutions and we provide support and trainning for the optimun PV plant integration.

In the year of 2000, Trendforce started to deliver market intelligence services under the name of DRAMeXchange. EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, is dedicated to delivering market intelligence of environmentally sustainable energy. EnergyTrend is also an information platform for green energy industry providing the latest industry trends, product information, in-depth research analysis as well as industry interviews. The research scope of EnergyTrend includes various green industries from solar energy, energy batteries to xEvs. www.energytrend.com

IAIR (International Alternative Investment Review)

IAIR (International Alternative Investment Review) is one of the fast growing alternative investment magazines worldwide and the first, according to Alexa – Amazon,  for international ranking and number of readers.

In fact, IAIR has recently surpassed international and well known magazines like Euromoney, Institutional Investor, Reuters Hedgeworld, Financial Time Wealth Monitor. You can see more about the ranking at http://www.iaireview.org/top-ranking/   International Alternative Investment Review (I.A.I. Review)delivers news you won’t read anywhere else about events in the business and financial community worldwide and the best ideas and themes in the alternative assets sector.   I.A.I Review focuses on the fastest growing segments within this dynamic sector, including family office, private equity, hedge funds, philanthropy and property. The readership includes:Hedge fund managers; Fund of fund operators; High net worth individuals; Private bankers; Law firm; Head of family offices; Trustee and Investment directors.   For more information, please visit: www.iaireview.org

With a focus on politics, energy and art, REVOLVE magazine offers a fresh perspective on current affairs with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking political essays, coverage of innovative energy projects and profiles of emerging artists.   This online platform is complemented by the publication twice a year of print editions that feature some of the best from the web version. For more details on the international distribution of our winter and summer issues, please visit www.revolve-magazine.com. Providing substance over quantity to a global and multilingual audience, REVOLVE magazine works with journalists, analysts and researchers from around the world to offer insights into the more pressing challenges with which we are all confronted today.   REVOLVE encourages constructive comments and suggestions from you – both as a public forum and in private messages to the editors – to make this magazine more effective in filling the communications gap and achieving a more global dialogue.

Save-more-energy.com is an independent b2b platform for Green Investment & Sustainable Development.   Renewable Energy, Green Buildings and Investment Opportunities in Europe incl. CEE/SEE and Middle East area. Interesting branch news: always at www.save-more-energy.com     Useful Links http://www.eeandres.viaexpo.com/en/links

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Actual prices per one liter of fuel March 5, 2012

March 5, 2012	Unleaded (Superbleifrei, Euro sans plomb, Euro95)					Diesel (Gazole, Gasóleo)
Country	Retail Price		Price (Excluding VAT)			Retail Price		Price (Excluding VAT)
Austria	€ 1.421		€ 1.184			€ 1.431		€ 1.193
Belgium	€ 1.702		€ 1.407			€ 1.548		€ 1.279
Bulgaria	€ 1.311	2.57 лв.	€ 1.093	2.14 лв.		€ 1.337	2.62 лв.	€ 1.114	2.18 лв.
Cyprus	€ 1.323		€ 1.131			€ 1.347		€ 1.151
Czech Republic	€ 1.462	36.20 Kč	€ 1.218	30.17 Kč		€ 1.483	36.70 Kč	€ 1.236	30.58 Kč
Denmark	€ 1.800	13.37 kr	€ 1.440	10.70 kr		€ 1.621	12.04 kr	€ 1.297	9.63 kr
Estonia	€ 1.342		€ 1.118			€ 1.372		€ 1.143
Finland	€ 1.644		€ 1.337			€ 1.570		€ 1.276
France	€ 1.655		€ 1.384			€ 1.462		€ 1.222
Germany	€ 1.653		€ 1.389			€ 1.521		€ 1.278
Greece	€ 1.745		€ 1.419			€ 1.551		€ 1.261
Hungary	€ 1.494	426 Ft	€ 1.176	335 Ft		€ 1.550	442 Ft	€ 1.220	348 Ft
Ireland	€ 1.597		€ 1.298			€ 1.552		€ 1.262
Italy	€ 1.807		€ 1.493			€ 1.737		€ 1.436
Latvia	€ 1.397	Ls 0.977	€ 1.145	Ls 0.801		€ 1.385	Ls 0.967	€ 1.135	Ls 0.793
Lithuania	€ 1.382	Lt 4.77	€ 1.142	Lt 3.94		€ 1.333	Lt 4.60	€ 1.102	Lt 3.80
Luxembourg	€ 1.394		€ 1.212			€ 1.279		€ 1.112
Malta	€ 1.450		€ 1.229			€ 1.360		€ 1.153
Netherlands	€ 1.804		€ 1.516			€ 1.495		€ 1.256
Poland	€ 1.371	5.63 zł	€ 1.115	4.58 zł		€ 1.389	5.70 zł	€ 1.129	4.63 zł
Portugal	€ 1.692		€ 1.376			€ 1.528		€ 1.242
Romania	€ 1.309	5.69 lei	€ 1.056	4.59 lei		€ 1.348	5.86 lei	€ 1.087	4.73 lei
Slovakia	€ 1.525		€ 1.271			€ 1.361		€ 1.134
Slovenia	€ 1.438		€ 1.198			€ 1.335		€ 1.113
Spain	€ 1.432		€ 1.214			€ 1.366		€ 1.158
Sweden	€ 1.686	14.85 kr	€ 1.349	11.88 kr		€ 1.618	14.25 kr	€ 1.294	11.40 kr
United Kingdom	€ 1.662	£ 1.386	€ 1.385	£ 1.155		€ 1.755	£ 1.464	€ 1.463	£ 1.220
EU AVERAGE	€ 1.537		€ 1.270			€ 1.468		€ 1.213

Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator (FTCC)

 CCRES promotes

 Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator (FTCC)

FTCC System

Photovoltaic floating plant with tracking and cooling system

Photovoltaic panels are emerging as a robust, efficient, distributed energy source. The costs are decreasing and this justifies the effort to improve their use and to study the possibility of building large plants.
There are still three limitations: the thermal drift which lowers the efficiency of the system of 10-15%, the availability of spaces for photovoltaic fields, the high cost of tracking systems.
Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator (FTCC) System allows to exploit small basins and natural and artificial lakes to install PV plants.
The FTCC system consists of a series of floating platforms with photovoltaic panels supported by a structure in polyethylene tubes. The power of a single module ranges from 20 to 200 kW, depending on the type of panel used. Cooling of the panel is ensured by a veil of water that is generated by a set of irrigators.
The FTCC system overcomes the limitations discussed above. In particular:

• Water veil keeps the PV panel at low temperatures with an average yearly energy gain of more than 10%.
• The floating platform allows a very efficient one axis tracking, so that reflectors can be easily oriented to increase radiation collected on the panels.
• The system exploits the unused areas of artificial reservoirs and has a very limited environmental impact.

Finally the cost of the system is limited. In practice the cost of tracking, cooling and reflectors (platform included) is less than € 800 for kWp. This further investment is limited compared to the one needed for PV part and it is offset by the increase of the yearly energy yield.

FTCC plant concept image

The platform and tracking system

The platform can be of arbitrary form (circular or rectangular) and is built with modular elements (rafts) each supporting 2 or more PV panels.
The tracking system works with motors which generate a small couple respect to a light under-water basis anchored to a mooring. Simulations and measurements of wind load and structural forces were made and the data are encouraging: the forces involved are very low, due to the system configuration.

The reflectors

Panels are equipped with reflectors; two solutions have been studied. Experimental tests are ongoing for both solutions.

First solution

The first solution. The issue of shadows and reflectors is evident.

The panels are inclined by an optimal angle (for example 40°) and the platform is oriented in such a way as to optimize the solar radiation on the panels. Shadows are unavoidable when the sun is low on the horizon but can be partially compensated by reflectors which increase the radiation when the sun is high on the horizon.
The main problem in this case seems to be the lack of homogeneity in solar radiation on the photovoltaic cells.
The unevenness of radiation can significantly reduce the efficiency of the panel and for this reason is required some distance between the rows of reflectors and those of the panels.

Second solution

The second solution.Reflectors forming an angle of 60°

In order to overcome the mismatched radiation problem, a second solution was proposed: the panel is positioned between two reflectors tilted. In this case the solar panels are tilted by a very small angle and are oriented in such a way as to be always in line with the solar radiation.
Reflectors are positioned on both side of the panels and form a suitable angle with the horizon.
The limit of this approach lies in the efficiency of the reflectors and in their inability to focus diffuse radiation. The gain due to the concentration, adequately supported by panels cooling, is however remarkable and can reach values between 60 and 70% depending on the latitude.

Second solution: a 60° angle. FTCC system in Colignola –Pisa

The second solution (angle 60°) has been adopted in the pilot plant in Pisa which will be finished by the end of September 2011. This pilot plant will be used to measure the system performance and to test the tracking system efficiency.

Second solution: a 60° angle. FTCC system in Colignola (Pisa)

The FTCC system proposes an innovative solution to exploit surfaces already equipped and available for industrial uses while at the same time improving the efficiency and annual yield of PV plants. Costs of the supporting platform and of cooling, tracking, reflector system are rather limited and compensated by the increase in the annual energy yield.

The Cheongju plant

Korean company, Techwin has built a floating photovoltaic plant in Cheongju, Korea using the FTCC technology, with the final project entirely developed by Scienza Industria Tecnologia and Koinè Multimedia.

The platform built by Techwin surrounded by ice. . The large structure in the middle of the platform will be used to accommodate an advertising panel

The Suvereto plant

The Terra Moretti group has made at its winery Petra in Suvereto (Italy), a floating photovoltaic plant that allows the use of a irrigation reservoir and at the same time have a greater energy efficiency.
The plant, which implements the proposed technology and patents of SIT, will be fitted with a tracking system and reflectors in order to further increase the total harvest of energy.
This plant, with capacity of 200 kWp, is the first of its kind and paves the way for a line of development in PV technologies that points at the following goals:

• Enhancement of existing facilities and better integration
• Greater energy efficiency
• Lower environmental impact

Another benefit of using this solution in irrigation reservoirs is to reduce the effects of evaporation, which increases basins functionality.

The platform built by the Terra Moretti group at its winery Petra. SIT srl is responsible for the tracking system. Click images to enlarge.

Coupling of photovoltaic float technique with hydroelectric

Italy has many hydroelectric plants with an installed capacity of 21.5 GW . Hydroelectric plants have good conversion efficiency and even if the initial fixed investment is very high, the cost per kWh is highly competitive. The only limitation is the reduced availability due to the water cycle and on average they are exploited for about 1,800 hours per year to full power, that is just over 20%.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) 

special thanks to 

 

Roberto Maietti

Executive Director

 

Iebert International SA

21, Viale Cattaneo

P.O Box 320

6906 Lugano (CH)