Member news November 2019

Improve your knowhow, discover new and interesting studies, and take a test to see what you really know about electric mobility.

Seems our Flux50 members are all about growing knowledge at the moment. Have a glance at the throwback of the annual Smart Energy Academy.

Be inspired, learn more and get deeper insights on the industry – or broaden your professional horizon: part of the Flux50 community is on the lookout for new talent.

Supercharge your knowhow! Free session on home batteries for installers

Want to update your knowhow on home batteries?

YUSO – along with its partners Battery Supplies and Vives Hogeschool – invites you to the free info session on “Renewable Energy: Home Batteries”. 

Get up to speed on the ins and outs of the AQ-LITH Energybox Home Battery. So, what can you expect?
A comprehensive take on home battery energy storage, including insight into:

• The changing digital electricity metre market – and the eclipsing of the reverting meter.
• New tariffs and grants
• The pros and cons of home batteries
• The integration of a home battery in a new or existing network
• The components of an installation: battery, inverter, meter, controller
• A visit to a lab hosting a test installation of a home inverter battery

This info night evening is specifically targeted specific at installers and takes place 20 February at 7:30pm, VIVES Kortrijk (IWT A), Doorniksesteenweg 145. The session is free, reservation is required.

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Solar Mirror Park delivers green heat at ADPO

It’s big, it’s smart, it’s green – and it’s mighty warm

The energy company AzteQ has launched a pilot project on the site of logistics company ADPO in Beveren. They’ve installed a solar mirror park that generates green heat through concentrated sunlight. 

Impressive temperatures
The Genk-based energy company developed the installation over the last couple of months. The solar mirror park hosts 1.100 m² of parabolas, spread across the grounds of the company Antwerp Distribution and Products Operations (ADPO). This corporation initially used gas to produce the steam needed to clean and heat containers and tanks – which requires temperatures over 140 C°.

High-tech, smart installation
The Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy (CST) produced is an innovative technology concentrating sunlight through parabola mirrors – called sun parabolas – and converting it directly into heat. The solar mirror park, which will replace 500 MWh of gas usage annually, is installed directly above the parking lot of the company, over a railroad track and under a high-voltage power line – making it a beautiful example of double use of available space.

First of its kind
The solar mirrors are each 5 metres wide and are placed in rows of 120 mirrors. Each mirror moves with the sun to capture a maximum of available sunlight and direct it to the collector tubes. The installation is the first industrial CST project in Europe and will contribute to a significant reduction of CO2 emissions.

A little background on the project
The installation in the Antwerp harbour is part of a Flemish pilot project, comprised of three testing installations with solar panels. These installations will be installed based in Beveren, Oostende and Genk, producing between 1,260 and 1,390 MWh of green heat.

These testing projects require investments of up to €1,425 million euros, of which €819.000 will be provided by the Flemish government.

Looking for knowhow on energy storage? Be inspired by Ingenium

Store energy to save energy (and money)

Ingenium recently has assessed several battery storage business cases for Lidl. The company is also currently guiding two Master’s students in their respective theses, on energy storage and flexibility. 

The first Master’s thesis is being carried out in cooperation with the KU Leuven, AZ Groeninge and NextKraftWerke, to investigate the flexibility potential of the healthcare industry. The second Master’s thesis simulates the potential business cases for battery storage in a Local Energy Community.

Energy storage: crucial for success
Energy storage is one of the crucial components for making flexible renewable energy a success. Batteries can be the solution to buffer the energy provided by solar panels or windmills, increasing flexibility and reducing dependence on grid power. 

Closing the gap between one’s energy production and energy needs means less reliance on grid power, which makes for significant savings on energy bills.

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Energik announces the Energy Manager of the Year

And two other prizes awarded!

Awards time! On Wednesday 23 October, the Energik Energy Manager of the Year event took place for the third year running at the Siemens company grounds in Huizingen – the day after World Energy Day! The event was launched in 2017 by Energik, a non-profit that joined forces with AP Hogeschool and Howest. 

This year, three awards were presented: 

• Junior Energy Manager of the Year – for the Energy Management student with the best Bachelor’s thesis
• Academic Energy Manager of the Year – for the Energy Management Master’s student with the best thesis
• Energy Manager of the Year – for the best corporate Energy Manager of the – wait for it – year.

Engie and Fluvius chipped in and awarded the winners of the first two categories a €1,000 cheque each.

The Junior Energy Manager of the Year award goes to…

Energy Management students got the chance to put their hat in the ring for this prestigious award as part of their Bachelor’s thesis – which had to be successfully completed by their June exams. AP nominated four laureates, and Howest another two. The winner was selected based on four criteria: content, relevance to society, presentation skills, and energy contribution (in other words: did the Bachelor’s thesis enable a significant energy saving).

Toon Stoot delivered the best results, with his thesis on the “Improvement potential of compressed air and centralized air extraction in workshops of the Brussels public transportation company MIVB”.

For his Bachelor’s thesis, he joined forces with the consultancy firm Cenergie. He developed a calculating tool for them which afforded great savings in compressed air and suction air. MIVB uses compressed air for tram and bus maintenance, sending high pressured air through tubes to clean them. A lot can go wrong in that process: broken valves, pressure differences, wrong settings… This makes for huge energy losses. 

Toon’s calculating tool, designed in VBA, allows MIVB to enter parameters to quickly calculate the potential energy loss in compressed air and suction air machinery.

The Academic Energy Manager of the Year is…

Michiel Kenis, a student at the KU Leuven, was awarded Academic Energy Manager of the Year for his work on the “Strategic Participation of Coalitions of Wind Power Producers on the Electricity Market”. This thesis delivered an in-depth focus on the potential market mechanisms involved in the pricing of wind energy on the Day-Ahead market.

And finally, the Energy Manager of the Year is…

Philippe Alboort from ArcelorMittal in Ghent! His presentation on “The role of the energy manager in the steel factory of the future” lays out the complex and integrated process, supported by a strategic action plan for the distant and near future. 

The global approach and ambitious actions – and realizations – are setting an example and have a significant impact: traditionally energy-intensive, the steel sector is evolving into a durable high-tech industry with total gas recuperation, 50MW in renewables, strong CO2 reduction, green mobility and an emphasis on the circular economy. 

The introduction of Green Ton Steel  translates this vision into a tangible, highly ambitious realization and project of great relevance to society.

The Energik initiative was made possible by Engie and Fluvius.