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EUREC MASTERS NEWSLETTER
Issue #27 / March 2017
In this issue

EUREC Awards 2017

EUREC will deliver three awards:

+ to promote excellence in study of Renewable Energy,
+ to reward talent &
+ to encourage Renewable Energy debate worldwide

The competition is open to undergraduate (bachelor) projects, please spread the word to students around you!

Project abstract must be submitted online before July 4th 2017

Read the requirements and apply here

Best projects 2016 from Hanze University

Andrew Moore, EMRE, Wind energy specialisation
 

After learning about different renewable energy topics at Hanze I realised Wind Energy was for me, so I took the specialisation in Athens for my second semester.

Integrating renewables at a large scale presents a number of issues, so I decided that for my thesis I wanted to explore how wind energy fits into the broader energy system. Reading articles online I came across the energy system modelling group at University College London, who build models that provide insight for national and international energy systems.
For my thesis at UCL I used an existing modelling framework, highRES, which models all major forms of energy production simultaneously. My project had two parts: make changes to the model and design scenarios to analyse the system.
Along with other technologies, the model outputs wind farm capacities for different regions
I investigated offshore wind, increasing the technological detail of the model, and ultimately running a sensitivity analysis on floating offshore wind. Currently, floating wind is very early in the learning stage, but as I was modelling for 2050 I could explore different cost scenarios. I found that costs need to reduce to the same level as bottom-mounted foundations before they are adopted by the system. This demonstrated the limited impact of the increased spatial diversity offered by the new available depths.

The team agreed to take me on for some further research to publish a paper on the topic, and explore some of the issues we uncovered. I am now working as a researcher while looking for commercial opportunities in wind energy.
Habib Rahme, EMRE, Grid integration specialisation
 
How Energy Storage is paving the way for higher penetration levels of Wind Energy
The stability issues that arise from the intermittency of wind is hindering further penetration of its generated electricity in the grid. This along with increasing requirement from grid operators for wind farms to provide ancillary services has made research in storage technologies surge. Coupled with a big drop of prices in the recent years, storage is now a reality with one application that was invested for a 14MW wind farm in the Martinique Island in the Caribbean.
The objective was to know its effect on the electrical system and how does it affect the Annual Energy Production of the wind farm. The project had to abide by the French requirements which clearly state the necessity to maintain the power production within a margin of 15 to 25% from the predicted output and a 10% capacity for primary frequency response. These requirements along with other limitations lead to Lithium Ion battery being the most adequate storage technology to answer the restrictions imposed in the project. Simulations in conjunction with a Cost Benefit Analysis show that a battery of 3.4 MWh/ 1.7 MW presents the highest Net Present Value of 1.2 million Euros. An average performance ratio of the storage system of 95% shows that the AEP is lower than in conventional wind farms in metropolitan France, but the high remuneration of 230 €/MWh compensates for the lower AEP and makes the investment in the battery a profitable business case.

The French requirements have set a 30% limit of maximum allowed renewable energy penetration in overseas departments’ grids. However, with the introduction of energy storage, this number is subject to an increase, which was the case with Réunion Island. In fact, the allowed penetration level of renewable energy has increased to 32% after one PV solar farm equipped with a Lithium Ion battery storage was commissioned. This is a concrete example of how storage is paving the way for higher penetration levels of renewable energy making policies aiming for a complete transition in the energy sector feasible.
Marc Schot, SESyM, Sustainable Energy Management specialisation
 
My name is Marc Schot and my graduation project was all about integrating a centralized battery storage system for becoming self-sufficient.

The objective of the study was to analyze the current and future cost situation of using battery storage together with renewable electricity generation. In order to produce accurate numbers, island Ameland was used as main example of the study. So why is this study currently relevant?

 
The answer has to do with creating or updating stand-alone systems. All over the world many islands and remote areas are currently generating electricity by using diesel generators, because installing electricity cables from the mainland is too expensive. This means that these stand-alone systems are both air pollutants as dependent on the fuel supply from the mainland.

A solution to solve this problem is to introduce renewable technology as source of electricity storage and generation. But are people in a stand-alone system willing to invest in such a system? In other words, is a stand-alone system based on battery storage and renewable generation economic attractive?

To provide a clear answer on this question, this study created different electrical system designs (based on island Ameland) in order to compare the costs of investing and maintaining the system. 
From the results of the study it appears that for islands that need to replace its old diesel genset system it is currently economically more attractive to invest in a battery storage system and renewable generation. This has all to do with the technical improvements and cost reductions among battery storage and several renewable generation technologies.

Important is that this study shows that, besides becoming independent and almost 100% renewable, it is significantly less expensive to invest in renewable solutions. This means that also for battery storage the transition has started! An interesting topic for further research in becoming self-sufficient by battery storage and renewable generation is to analyze several (creative) business model options in order provide solutions related to stakeholders and investors selection, revenues etc.

Good luck with your thesis and I can always send you my thesis if you are interested!
Marro Mijnans, SESyM, System Integration and Optimisation specialisation
 
Dear energy enthusiast,

Energy transition is no longer about technology. Now it is about you and me. What that means is that I have to find a way to get you interested.

My reason for starting the European Master in Sustainable Energy System Management (SESyM) was very simple: I think energy transition works as long as there is money to be made. So when you figure out how to do so, you can ‘steer’ the transition.
Not as simple as it sounds though. I can’t explain the complexity involved in these ‘black-and-white’ statements in this short text, but I can make a start and share my enthusiasm!
Just like a fire implies heat, light and sound, Energy Transition, in my view implies Technology, Economics, and Strategy (the latter is my translation for, among others, a social dimension). The trick is finding the right combination of those three. To do so scientifically, I have use a modelling approach based on a relatively new methodology. It allowed me to design a solution concept by following a set of steps, and later test that solution concept in a practise case study. The idea behind this is that when you do so, you would end up with a model that would improve each time a new concept is put through the model. Generalizable knowledge!

I have designed a solution concept to be tested in practise specifically for investment decisions in decentralized energy storage concepts. Many alternatives are being developed at the moment, each with their own specific combination of technology, economics and strategy, each with their own specific set of situational advantages and disadvantages. I figured out a way to use this in the investment decision making process.

The question is: where do we develop what kind of storage and what is the underlying business case? I made a start with decentralized energy storage (I think that is the most interesting one). I designed my solution concept based on the process of (strategic) scenario planning which I coupled with specific quantification techniques for technology, economics and strategy. The result delivers a specific score on technology, economics and strategy: this can be used in the aforementioned investment decision making process, or, in the decision making process surrounding many sustainability related projects.

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to fully validate my model with case studies, so it needs some more work to really become the model I have in mind. In the mean time I apply the lessons learned from my model in my own company: Envitron. Maybe more on that later!
 
Thank you for reading, and in the case that you have read this and want to know more about SESyM, my thesis or my company: please don’t hesitate to contact me, my email address is given down below.
 
Met een vriendelijke groet,
With kind regards,

M.G.Mijnans, MSc.
Email: marro@envitron.nl

Graduation ceremony for EMRE and SESyM students


The first nine graduates from the European Master in Sustainable Energy System Management and the Hanze UAS graduates from the European Master in Renewable Energy received their diplomas on Thursday 9 January during a festive ceremony.

More graduation ceremonies are following (Oldenburg University on March 31st, Mines-ParisTech in June). EUREC wishes all the best to all 2015/2016 graduates for their career!

EUREC Masters students moved to a new building in Groningen

The Sustainable Fuel Systems for Mobility specialisation (EMRE) and the System Integration and Optimisation specialisation (SESYM) started in February at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. The specialisations' classes take place in the new Energy Academy Building.

Students from the Sustainable Fuel Systems for Mobility Specialisation
The new Energy Academy Europe building in Groningen is set to be the most sustainable education-related building in the Netherlands. But how can it be so sustainable?
Watch this video and learn more about the smart design of this remarkable building

Where are they now?


Yvan Guerra, EUREC Master student 2006/2007
 

In 2007, I followed the EUREC Master and then did the thesis in Sydney. Afterwards, I worked on CSP and PV development in Spain, France and Germany for several companies as an employee. Then, I got the opportunity to supervise several PV constructions in the UK and in Chile as a freelancer due to the solar business financial instability.
 
In 2017, with my former intern, we started a new company in the South East of France, aiming at providing solar energy services and solutions worldwide as an independent company.
The company is called EFISUN, meaning “working on Solar solutions in an Efficient way” and our strategy is to keep our expenses low by sharing project benefits only and avoiding fix charges.
Because we aim at meaningful projects and smart & social innovative solutions. Currently, we are also in contact with other EUREC alumni for moving their projects forward.
The team is now composed of Elena who is an environmental consultant, Lara who follows our solar thermal projects, Antoine who designs the projects, Maxime for supervising implementations and myself. Therefore, our range of services goes from project development to maintenance activities.
 
Website: http://www.efisun.fr

Job ads

Two new jobs ads are available:
And 15 project opportunities! To find more job and internship positions:
If you want to publish an ad, please send it to Nathalie Richet

Masters Agenda

Upcoming Events

NEXT ISSUE
Issue 28: June 2017
Deadline for contributions: June 15th
For any suggestion or contribution to our newsletter, please contact Nathalie Richet
EUREC - The Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres
Place du Champ de Mars 2, 1050 Brussels
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