Forward thinking projects

Sunamp, University of Glasgow, Beijing University of Technology, China Investment Yixing Red Sun Solar Energy Technology

Intermittent and low-grade renewable energy sources have unrealised potential to displace the use of fossil fuels, provided their inherent drawbacks can be overcome. We propose to couple novel heat storage technologies to the well-known Organic Rankine Cycle to produce distributed heat and power supply using a wide range of under-utilised renewable heat sources, such as solar and geothermal energy. These heat sources are normally too low-grade to be economically unviable for power generation using conventional technologies. ORC power plants are believed to be the most promising technology to utilise them.

In order to improve the cost-effectiveness and to reduce payback period, suitable heat storage systems can be added to ORC power plants to either overcome the intermittency of solar energy or minimise the required capacity of deep geothermal boreholes. Based on the partners’ previous successes with ORC technologies and heat storages in both the UK and China, this consortium brings together comprehensive and complementary expertise to address key technical challenges, thus pushing forward the commercialisation of the proposed technology.

Heat4Cool proposes an innovative, efficient and cost-effective solution to optimize the integration of a set of rehabilitation systems in order to meet the net-zero energy standards. The project develops, integrates and demonstrates an easy to install and highly energy efficient solution for building retrofitting that begins from the Heat4Cool advanced decision-making tool (which addresses the building and district characteristics) and leads to the optimal solution combining (1) gas and solar thermally driven adsorption heat pumps, which permits the full integration with existing natural gas boilers to ensure efficient use of current equipment , (2) solar PV assisted DC powered heat pump connected to an advanced modular PCM heat and cold storage system, and (3) energy recovery from sewage water with high performance heat exchangers.

This retrofitting solution together with a closer interaction between building monitoring, demand/respond supply match, weather forecast and HVAC activation/control through a Self-Correcting Intelligent Building Energy Management Systems (SCI-BEMS) will save at least 10% of energy consumption.

The project will implement four benchmark retrofitting projects in four different European climates to achieve a reduction of at least 20% in energy consumption in a technically, socially, and financially feasible manner and demonstrate a return on investment lower than ten years. The Heat4Cool consortium will ensure the maximum replication potential of the Heat4Cool solution by a continuous monitoring of technical and economic barriers during the development and validation phases in order to present the building owners and investors with clear energy and economic evidence of the value of implementing Heat4Cool solution.

A detailed business plan will be developed in the beginning of the project to strengthen the exploitation plan of the retrofitting package and set the basis for a massive replication of the demonstrated concept across Europe.

The SPIRE 2 project will involve collaboration between lead coordinator Ulster University, 3 research institutes and 14 businesses via a cross-border Virtual Research Graduate School.

SPIRE 2 will address how consumer-owned energy storage can resolve the problem of the variability of renewable energy (RE) output.#

The project will explore how homes and businesses can store renewable energy effectively, allowing very high levels of RE to be integrated into power grids globally, at the same time as maximising the benefits to consumers.

SPIRE 2 will aim to evaluate, develop and facilitate the wide-scale deployment of Mass Energy Storage (MES) technologies to operate profitably in new market structures of UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The project will generate a deeper understanding of the role and commercial viability of MES in enabling increasing levels of intermittent power generation.

Project leader Professor Neil Hewitt, who is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at Ulster University, said:

“The announcement by the Business Secretary Greg Clarke outlined how the UK Government intends to stimulate a drastic modernisation of energy markets.

BBC News “Electricity shake-up could save consumers ‘up to £40bn’”

“The SPIRE 2 project will help to deliver this by looking at how energy storage resources owned by homeowners and businesses can resolve the problem of the variability of output from renewable energy. If consumers can store energy effectively, that will allow very high levels of renewables to be integrated into power grids globally, at the same time as putting consumers at the heart of the energy system.”

“Collaboration between research institutes and businesses is key to the success of this project and we are excited to be working with so many partner organisations. Working together, we can intensify technological innovation in the region and create pathways to commercialise advanced energy storage solutions. We want this region to be internationally recognised as an energy storage innovator as this will attract global industry interest and investment.

“The project will create 17 PhD studentships and will further develop six post-doctoral researchers. By creating this supply of highly-educated developers, able to transform research ideas into commercial reality, SPIRE 2 will also contribute to local economic growth. These positions are now open to applicants and offer an opportunity to be involved in strategically significant global energy research.”