Renewables

Intepro Systems has announced its PAS-F Series of programmable three phase utility grid simulators. The PAS-F system combines utility grid simulation and regenerative bi-directional AC source that is capable of both sourcing and sinking the full current load from the Device Under Test (DUT). With power levels ranging from 45kVA to 1.6MVA, the series is capable of testing the largest of dispersed energy inverters.

Inspired by a video displaying the awesome power of nature as it tore down the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940, Vortex Bladeless aims to revolutionise wind power. The dramatic footage shows the bridge oscillating in strong winds, becoming caught in an aeroelastic coupling and eventually collapsing into Puget Sound, Washington.

Independent renewable energy consultancy Natural Power has released a groundbreaking study to be presented at the EWEA Wind Resource Assessment workshop, Helsinki, that will support the replacement of traditional met masts on sites featuring complex terrain, with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) converted lidar campaign featuring ZephIR 300.

Production of biogas from silage maize is booming, but also has its drawbacks. Maize monocultures block increasingly large areas for food production and result in a monotonous landscape. Unused grass from landscaping is an ecological alternative to maize, if economic drawbacks are compensated, reveals a recent study by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Hohenheim, which focused on locations in Baden-Württemberg.

Cities represent heat islands within their surroundings, which are characterised by many heat sources and small air flows. In southern Europe, bright buildings produce relief and provide for a cooler urban climate. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) simulation calculations for the city of Stuttgart reveal that such measures for enhancing cooling may adversely affect air quality on the ground.

A solution for photovoltaic power plants that meets the highest requirements for SMA Solar Technology has been introduced by Belden. The Modular Industrial Patch Panel (MIPP) forms an integral part of the solutions used by SMA Solar Technology for photovoltaic power plants, which are characterised by maximum economy and efficiency.

JG Speedfit has launched a wireless thermostatic radiator valve, the JG Aura TRV, designed to efficiently regulate hot water to each radiator in a house. The JG Aura TRV simply replaces traditional radiator valves, making installation quick and easy. The valves are controlled wirelessly by a JG Aura thermostat in every room and can send a signal to the JG Aura Network, turning the boiler off when room temperature has been reached.

Europe´s first solar concrete wall has been inaugurated at RECKLI's headquarters in Herne, Germany. The facade, designed by RECKLI, uses solar film from Heliatek (HeliaFilm) and represents a novel approach to BIOPV - Building Integrated Organic PV. The result of a joint development project, the wall demonstrates the next step towards a sustainable, net-zero energy building.

The EOLOS floating buoy featuring a ZephIR wind LiDAR, one of KIC InnoEnergy’s start-up projects, has won the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Innovators Award at the InnovEIT conference, Budapest, in recognition of the product’s potential to have a significant societal and economic impact.

ams has launched the AS3955, an NFC interface Chip (NFiC), which offers energy harvesting and data transfer capabilities. Like its predecessor the AS3953, the AS3955 provides a contactless bridge between an NFC reader and any MCU. However, the AS3955 can also act as a power supply for the host device, harvesting as much as 5mA at 4.5V (enough to charge a Li-ion cell battery) from the RF energy radiated by an NFC reader.