Research on Energy Efficiency at EIGSI La Rochelle focuses on 2 complementary fields:
- Dimensioning and optimizing the conversion of electrical energy from multi-source systems (photovoltaic, wind) with storage (batteries, supercapacitors)
- Engineering of renewable systems (integration, decision support, energy efficiency and savings)
E4R PROJECT
Funding: Interreg IV B SUDOE
Duration: 2011 to mid-2013
Partners: AIDICO, ITG, INEGI Junta de Extremadura
Improving energy efficiency, especially in older buildings which represent nearly 90% of the existing building stock, is a key factor for achieving the goals of 20% reduction of energy consumption in the European Union by 2020. Support and incentive measures for the rehabilitation of existing buildings have been implemented but they do not meet the real needs of the people involved in the process.
The objective of the E4R project (Energy 4 Rehabilitation) is to encourage and promote the energy rehabilitation of existing buildings in the SUDOE area (South-West European region), by developing decision support tools to assess the potential economic and energy gains.
This project is aimed at all those involved in rehabilitation: public authorities, designers and manufacturers, installers, as well as users.
The idea for the project came from the observation of the difficulties in implementing energy-saving strategies in the field of building rehabilitation. Unsuitable factors are often used to select which buildings to rehabilitate and what actions to take, either because the expected savings are not achieved or because the investment cost is too high. This is all the more problematic as in many cases the actions were subsidized by public funds.
Building rehabilitation is considered a priority project for reducing energy consumption.
Website: http://www.e4rproject.eu/
GERENER PROJECT
Funding: Poitou-Charentes Region
Duration: 2008-2011
Partner: Laboratoire d’Automatique et d’Informatique Industrielle de l’Université de Poitiers
Various factors such as global warming and the liberalization of the energy market encourage greater awareness on the part of users regarding renewable energy.
The project aims to develop a solar/wind hybrid system with or without energy storage (electrochemical and / or electrical) and connected or not to a power distribution network. It will optimally manage the production of electricity from photovoltaic panels and wind taking into account the instantaneous and predicted consumption by users, the availability of renewable energy sources and the storage systems available.
In 2008, the Poitou-Charentes Region launched the GERENER initiative, whose main objectives are:
- to promote the development of electric power generation systems based on renewable energy sources;
- to develop skills for regional research units in the field of integration and management of decentralized multi-source production systems on local interconnected or autonomous power grids;
- to develop and manage a hybrid prototype of a multi-source energy production system in a research laboratory;
- to provide expertise and design support on renewable energy systems for potential industrial developers.