Renewable Energies
Renewable energies
A change in the human attitude towards energy is now requisite, due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, their related effects on the environment and their related economic costs. Renewable energies, or the energy derived from resources that are naturally inexhaustible, can provide a solution to both these problems. Our challenge: finding a way to support a demand for products that -because their social and environmental costs are not included in the price of energy- now entail (when taking today's technologies into consideration) a greater economic cost to the customer.
Slowly yet firmly, a change is taking place: the effects on the environment and the and the rising prices of tradicional energy have impelled many governments to foster (mainly trough subsidies) the use of renewable energies, and to penalize carbon dioxide emissions.
Several member regions have specialized academic and technological centres working in this field, which are interacting to define future common actions.
Several member regions have specialized academic and technological centres working in this field, which are interacting to define future common actions.
At this time, these focus on:
Solar and wind energy represent a huge, under-exploited potential, with much room for improvement in terms of efficiency, reliability, costs and injection in the grid. Sunlight is the most abundant and permanent source of energy, but solar energy generation is lagging behind, primarily because of high costs. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing energy technologies. Europe continues to lead in this field, with 75 of the globally installed capacity. Finally, Latin America is an undisputed leader in the field of biofuels, for which there is a rising demand.
Projects:
A new modular and practical methodology for multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization of large-scale horizontal-axis wind turbines
The overall aim of this work is to develop a fundamental understanding of the nonlinear aeroelastic dynamics of large-scale horizontal-axis wind turbines with high aspect-ratio blades and high flexibility.
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Development of a controller to inject energy continuously in the network from photovoltaic installations using efficient accumulation systems.
The overall aim of this work is to develop a fundamental understanding of the nonlinear aeroelastic dynamics of large-scale horizontal-axis wind turbines with high aspect-ratio blades and high flexibility.
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Development of a controller to inject energy continuously in the network from photovoltaic installations using efficient accumulation systems.
Presented by A. López Agüera, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
This project will build onto the data collected by the Pierre Auger Project (the current largest monitored isolated photovolatic systems network in the world, operating in Mendoza, Argentina), with the following main objectives in mind:
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Improving injection efficiency in photovoltaic systems connected to the network.
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Increase the system's reliability, both when connected to the network and isolated.
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Optimize the system's durability.
Read more >>> (PDF format - 27 KB, in Spanish)
Heliostat testing ground
Presented by the Universidad de Sonora (Unison), Mexico.
This project focuses on researching technology that takes advantage of solar energy. It is part of a larger initiative on solar energy developed jointly with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
The tests of the first heliostat began on 22 September 2008.
Read more >>> (PPT format - 1.17 MB, in Spanish)
Collaboration between Santa Catarina and Valparaiso
Within the framework the conversations maintained by these regions' official delegations to the Forum di Torino, a mission to promote collaboration between the state of Santa Catarina (Brazil) and the Valparaiso Region (Chile) was organized in September 2008. A concrete agreement was defined to present a joint renewable energies project involving the regions of Valparaiso, Santa Catarina and Ferrara, with funding from the Forum.
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