Tag: Hydropower

Press Release - Daniele Novara from Easy Hydro among the three finalists of the EU Sustainable Energy Awards

Comunicato Stampa - Daniele Novara, fondatore di Easy Hydro, nominato fra i tre finalisti degli EU Sustainable Energy Awards

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

Daniele Novara, CEO of Easy Hydro, has been announced as a finalist in the upcoming EU Sustainable Energy Awards in riferimento alla prima centrale idroelettrica mai installata in una miniera. E' possibile votare online fino al 22 ottobre sulla piattaforma dedicata. Basta un solo click per supportare la candidatura di Daniele:

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A soli 40 chilometri a nord di Dublino, Irlanda, una turbina ad acqua posizionata in profondità in una miniera di zinco produce 30 kW di energia pulita grazie a una nuova tecnologia sviluppata da Daniele Novara, 29 anni, e dalla sua start-up Easy Hydro. Such innovative technology has stemmed from Daniele’s work at Trinity College di Dublino and uses modular water pumps to create low-cost, small-scale hydropower stations capable of exploiting untapped energy within existing water pipes.

Our installation at the zinc mine in Ireland is the first-ever hydropower station within an operating underground mine. At this site alone we will see annual savings of 200 MWh, the equivalent of powering roughly 50 households, and an offset of about 60 tonnes of carbon per year,“ explains Daniele. “Our technology is particularly suitable for recovering energy from pipe networks and existing water infrastructure, making it a scalable solution for mining companies looking to green their operations and consume less electricity”.

Durante il dottorato presso il Trinity College di Dublino, Daniele ha sviluppato la tecnologia che sul finire del 2019 lo ha portato a fondare Easy Hydro. Grazie alla collaborazione varie aziende UE e con una società mineraria svedese, e grazie ai finanziamenti del consorzio EIT RawMaterials , nel 2021 Daniele e il suo team sono riusciti a completare l’installazione della prima turbina.

Prior to completing his PhD in Ireland, Daniele obtained a BSc in Italy at Politecnico di Torino and a double MSc degree in Energy Engineering and Management from universities in Poland and Portugal offered by the EIT InnoEnergy consortium. This international outlook has followed Daniele to the business world, where as CEO of Easy Hydro he is already in discussions to replicate the hydropower station with major mining companies in areas such as North America, South Africa and Sweden.

Our goal now is to focus on commercialisation and creating a positive impact in the mining sector at scale,“ says Daniele. “The pilot installation proves that we can produce carbon-free electricity from surplus water pressure in the underground works in a cost-effective way”.

Per questa tecnologia il potenziale è straordinario. La sua diffusione potrebbe generare ogni anno risparmi per oltre 400.000 tonnellate di CO2“, dichiara Daniele. È all’orizzonte l’adozione su vasta scala della tecnologia, e quindi Daniele è ottimista riguardo all’impatto e al contributo della sua azienda per il raggiungimento degli obiettivi dell'UE per il 2030.

I giovani europei in azione per creare l’energia sostenibile del futuro

Daniele Novara è uno dei tre finalisti selezionati per i premi EUSEW (EU Sustainable Energy Week) 2021 nella categoria Young Energy Trailblazer (giovani pionieri nel settore dell’energia). Il riconoscimento va ad attività eccezionali effettuate da giovani (meno di 35 anni) che fanno progredire in Europa la transizione verso fonti di energia pulita e promuovono ambiziosi interventi in materia di clima ed energia.

I premi EUSEW (EU Sustainable Energy Week) sono un riconoscimento a sostenitori di eccellenza degli obiettivi 2030 in materia di clima ed energia

Dodici eccezionali progetti e persone sono messi in rilievo in occasione della settimana europea dell’energia sostenibile (EUSEW) 2021 per il carattere innovativo nel campo dell’efficienza energetica e delle energie rinnovabili. I finalisti sono stati selezionati da un elenco di tutti i progetti di maggior successo realizzati nel corso dell’anno per garantire energia pulita, sicura ed efficiente. I premi sono divisi in quattro categorie – Engagement, Innovation, Woman in Energy e Young Energy Trailblazer (Impegno, Innovazione, Donne e Giovani pionieri) – alle quali si aggiunge il Citizen’s Award (Premio dei cittadini), assegnato a uno dei progetti delle prime due categorie. I premi sono decisi da una giuria di esperti (per le categorie Engagement e Innovation) e da una votazione pubblica dei cittadini, ora aperte. sino al 22 ottobre. I cinque vincitori saranno annunciati lunedì 25 ottobre durante la EUSEW 2021.

EUSEW 2021

La settimana europea dell’energia sostenibile (EUSEW) 2021 si svolge dal 25 al 29 ottobre 2021 e ha come tema ‘Verso il 2030: rimodellare il sistema energetico europeo’. L’evento, che ha luogo prima della decisiva COP 26, riunisce esperti di politica energetica, leader del settore e rappresentanti del mondo accademico e della società civile che dibatteranno le modalità a disposizione di politiche lungimiranti in materia di decarbonizzazione, efficienza energetica, attenuazione del cambiamento climatico e molti altri aspetti come il Green Deal europeo, per contribuire a realizzare un’economia e una società migliori e maggiormente resilienti.

EUSEW 2021 sarà ancora una volta un evento online, con moltissime opportunità in più per partecipare, socializzare, creare contatti e riflettere sulle più importanti problematiche riguardanti l’energia pulita in Europa e nel mondo.

Le iscrizioni per partecipanti e media sono ora aperte.Per richiedere interviste con i finalisti dei premi EUSEW 2021 o per richiedere altre informazioni per la stampa, rivolgersi a media@eusew.eu

CREDITS FOR THE TURBINE INSTALLATION

This activity has received funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union under the Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Easy Hydro selected to continue to Phase 2 of the EIT RawMaterials Accelerator program

Easy Hydro selected to continue to Phase 2 of the EIT RawMaterials Accelerator program

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

After a successful completion of the Phase 1 of the EIT RawMaterials Accelerator program, Easy Hydro has been selected to continue to the following Phase 2. As a part of this, during the coming 6 months we will be assisted by EIT’s Business Developers to further refine our business plan and marketing strategy.

A perfect way to consolidate Easy Hydro’s business in the raw materials sector!

Why is micro hydropower a viable and competitive solution?

Why is micro hydropower a viable and competitive solution?

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

Renewable energy sources are experiencing impressive growth due to the economy’s decarbonization targets. In order to reach the goals set by the EU, it is very important to foster the application of different solutions to maximize green energy production. Micro hydro potential from water networks stands out as an untapped source of green energy, mostly wasted during the operation of water networks. But how competitive is micro hydropower when compared to other RES? A simple comparison of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) between a 100kW PV array and different sizes of micro hydropower is presented below:

  • The annual energy yield of a 33 kW Easy Hydro turbine operating for 4,500 hours per year would be similar to the annual energy yield of a 100 kW PV array. The operational time of the water turbine could be even greater in most circumstances, surpassing the annual energy yield of the 100 kW PV array with just a third of its nominal capacity.
  • The LCOE obtained for these two systems was: 0.042 €/kWh for the water turbine and 0.05 €/kWh for PV.
  • When comparing the same nominal power output (100 kW – 4,500 hours of operation) this difference increases, decreasing the LCOE of the 100 kW hydro turbine down to 0.033 €/kWh.

This shows how micro hydropower, despite presenting a slightly greater capital expenditure, presents a greater value from the investment point of view with a more competitive LCOE.

Multistage Pumps as Turbines

Multistage Pumps as Turbines

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

Common single-stage, centrifugal Pompe centrifughe reversibili are a very versatile family of devices suitable for a large variety of flow rate and head conditions. However, these machines can have poor efficiency when used at sites with low flow and high head where traditionally a Pelton turbine would be the preferred choice.

Instead, for those locations Easy Hydro can design and supply a multistage Pump as Turbine which consists of a number of impellers arranged in series. By distributing the head drop across multiple impellers, the turbine can therefore run in a flexible and efficient way at just a fraction of the price tag of a custom-made Pelton wheel.

Energy recovery from break pressure and storage water tanks

Energy recovery from break pressure and storage water tanks

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

How Easy Hydro turbines recover energy from on/off or ballcock inflow valves

Most large industrial water consumers are required to connect to the mains through a break tank in order to avoid backflows into the water distribution network. The inflow into such tanks is commonly regulated by a pilot or ball-operated inflow valve according to the level in the break tank itself. However, this approach is energy wasteful and highly inefficient since a stream of pressurized water is being brought to atmospheric pressure in the open-air tank before being distributed to the various industrial processes either by gravity or by further pumping.

An alternative method consists of using small-scale and modular hydropower turbines which can be placed in a bypass of a tank inflow valve and thus transform the dissipated pressure into usable electricity that can be consumed locally or exported to the grid. The type of turbine proposed is reliable and widely tested and consists of standard pumps running in reverse as turbines which only cost a fraction of a conventional custom-made hydro turbine.

Easy Hydro selected to take part in the 2021 EIT RawMaterials Accelerator

Easy Hydro selected to take part in the 2021 EIT RawMaterials Accelerator

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

Easy Hydro was one of the 12 startups selected for the Phase 1 of the 2021 EIT RawMaterials Accelerator programme, with a focus on further refining our business model and exploring the opportunities given by the market.

Our team will work under the guidance and coaching of the EIT RawMaterials Consortium over the next three months, with the target of stepping up to Phase 2 later in the year.

New research published: Multi-Country Scale Assessment of Available Micro-Hydropower in operating Water Networks

New research published: Multi-Country Scale Assessment of Available Micro-Hydropower in operating Water Networks

Pubblicato il di Easy Hydro team

Easy Hydro collaborates in a research to estimate the micro-hydropower potential in water networks across part of the EU

The Easy Hydro team has participated in a research focused on the quantification of the available energy recovery in water networks including drinking water, wastewater and irrigation across several EU countries as part of the REDAWN project. A total energy recovery potential ranging between 480 – 822 GWh was estimated, which would decrease the energy consumption of the water networks between 1.7 and 13%. This would significantly reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the water industry, whilst actively contributing to net energy efficiency gains.

Very interesting results, which will foster the adoption of micro hydropower solutions to counteract the effects of climate change and advance the EU targets regarding decarbonizing the economy.

The final document is available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/7/899