BR+A Consulting Engineers’ Post

1’810 meters above sea level, alpine reservoir, floating PV ⛰️☀️   Those are not 3 terms you’d necessarily expect to see in the same sentence, but you may have come across the world’s first alpine floating PV plant before, as it has caused quite a stir.   In the context of her master thesis, Alena Frehner conducted a Life Cycle Assessment of this pioneering high-altitude floating PV plant, and the study is now available as an open access article in the Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments Journal. 📰   With alpine and floating PV on the rise and gaining importance in the renewable energies market, this study gives insights into what the combination of both technologies might look like from an environmental perspective. 💡   👉 Definitely worth giving this study a read: https://lnkd.in/ejthbJng   Romande Energie Maxime Ramstein René Itten Matthias Stucki #FPV #FloatingPV #AlpinePV #LCA #LifeCycleThinking   Image: © Romande Energie

🌟𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠!    🎓A former student collegue of mine Alena Frehner from the ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften had her master-thesis published. Life Cycle Assessment @ ZHAW Matthias Stucki Congratulations again to you, your thesis is very impressive! ❣   𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦:   🏔️The 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦 is in Switzerland, and combined two innovative solar technologies.    🏆𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍?   The high-altitude location offers significant advantages: ⚡The system is capable of producing up to 50% more electricity in winter compared to lowland installations. ⛄️ This is due to factors such as increased solar radiation, lower temperatures, and a stronger albedo effect in mountainous regions.   💡𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡: To understand how environmental friendly this new system is, the study examines the entire life cycle (LCA) of the panels (How panels are made, transported and eventually disposed): 🎯The LCA of this system reveals promising environmental performance:   💨For every 𝐤𝐖𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 94 𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐎2 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭. s ( As a comparision coal-fired power plants emit approx. 820 grams of CO2-equivalent per kWh, while natural gas plants emit around 490 𝐠 𝐂𝐎2-𝐞𝐪/𝐤𝐖𝐡   The system uses 10,810 𝐤𝐖𝐡  of non-renewable energy for every kWp of solar panel capacity it installs. (𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵)    It takes 2.8 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 for the system to produce as much energy as was used to create it. -->This is called the 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞   🏔️What do you think about this innovation? Should there be more alpine floating pv installations? #floatingpv #innovation #environmentalscience #lifecycle #cleanenergy #energytransition #greentech #FPV #sustainableenergy

🌟 Exciting Announcement! 🌟 I'm delighted to share that our latest research paper, "Exploration Of Key Approaches to Enhance Evacuated Tube Solar Collector Efficiency," has been published in the esteemed Journal of Advanced Research in Numerical Heat Transfer. Our work delves into innovative strategies aimed at boosting the efficiency of evacuated tube solar collectors, a crucial advancement in the realm of renewable energy. This publication marks a significant milestone in our quest for sustainable energy solutions. I'm proud to contribute to the body of knowledge in this field and to have our research featured in a journal of such high caliber. With a Quartile Q1 ranking and an impressive CiteScore of 7.2, the Journal of Advanced Research in Numerical Heat Transfer is recognized for its commitment to excellence and innovation. What's even more thrilling is that our article has been selected as the Editor's Choice! This recognition highlights the significance and impact of our research in the field. You can access the full article using the following link: https://lnkd.in/d8dcaRqe I extend my sincere thanks to my co-authors and the dedicated team at the journal for their support and collaboration. Together, we are advancing the field of renewable energy and paving the way for a more sustainable future. I invite you to explore our research and join the conversation on enhancing solar energy efficiency. Let's continue to innovate and drive positive change for our planet. Regarding my photo accompanying this post, it is a reminder of the interconnectedness between nature and human innovation. In places like these, inspiration strikes and ideas flourish. 😊 #Research #SolarEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Innovation #AcademicPublishing #NumericalHeatTransfer #EvacuatedTubeSolarCollector #Sustainability

🌍🔋 Discover the Future of Sustainable Comfort with Geothermal Heat Pumps!  Amidst rising energy costs and the pressing need for climate action, Geothermal Heat Pumps offer an innovative and reliable local solution. By harnessing the heat stored beneath the surface, they provide 24/7 efficient heating and cooling for homes and businesses.    Why Geothermal Heat Pumps?  🔹 Cost-Effective: Significant long-term savings.  🔹 Reliable: Consistent performance year-round.  🔹 Quiet: Silent operation for uninterrupted comfort.  🔹 Efficient: High energy output with low consumption.  🔹 Local: Utilises nearby renewable resources.    Geothermal Heat Pumps can be installed in individual buildings or networked to serve entire communities. With millions of units already in use across Europe, their practicality and effectiveness are well established.     Discover how this technology is transforming energy efficiency and property value worldwide. Learn more from our video 🎥 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEkjx6cM. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), geoENERGIE Konzept GmbH, Rototec, Technical University of Munich, GeoServ, GeoSphere Austria, Groenholland Geo-energiesystemen, PORT PC Polska Organizacja Rozwoju Technologii Pomp Ciepła #GeothermalHeatPumps #GeothermalNOW #GHPs #RenewableEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability

Geothermal energy might not be top of mind when thinking about #renewables, but it's one of the coolest (and hottest!). Check out this video I made about how geothermal #heatpumps, an innovative technology, can provide efficient and affordable heating and cooling for homes and businesses. 🌍🔋🎥 👇

Learn more about NREL's building research on the link at the bottom of this post.

Buildings account for 30% of global energy consumption and 26% of energy-related emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. NREL is leading global transformation of this sector by applying our buildings science tools and expertise to enhance resilience, efficiency, and comfort in buildings worldwide. An example of this work is our collaboration with Berkeley Lab and Argentine stakeholders through the #NetZeroWorld initiative, where we're addressing energy efficiency challenges across regulatory, technical, economic, and social dimensions. Using tools like OpenStudio® and BETTER, NREL and our partners have helped quantify energy savings and economic benefits from energy efficiency measures in Argentina's La Pampa Province, with potential to expand this type of analysis nationwide. Explore how NREL’s expertise is driving global building innovation ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gFys9VX9

Auxiliary or Essential Services? The new system needs arising from the power system transition toward a 100% non-fossil future and the inherent need for a market redesign places ancillary services in the spotlight of energy transition discussions. Our broad review paper is a handy reference for researchers and industry practitioners regarding the key technical and market design challenges faced by the US and European ancillary service markets. This work was only possible due to the international collaboration with professors Mohammad Reza Hesamzadeh, Ross Baldick, and Damian Flynn; my best friend from Sweden Saeed Mohammadi, and my supervisor in Brazil Daniel Dotta. https://lnkd.in/daVdKQPD

About double the regular outside temperature for April (30°C‼️) accompanied the International Energy Agency (IEA) IEA Energy Storage TCP #Task43 community in Graz during an intense week for exchange and underlined once more the necessity to combat climate change. Besides hands on work on the deliverables, presentations of recent advances in research and industry showcased the hidden potential of #thermalactivatedbuildingmass as #energystorage: 🪵Thermal activated building mass in wood construction, Michael Moltinger Fachhochschule Salzburg - University of Applied Sciences 🧊Building integrated PCM for energy saving and thermal comfort, Shady Attia, Université de Liège 🏗Prefabricated thermally activated components as ideal partners for a heat pump, Thomas Friedrich Innogration GmbH 📈 Thermal performance analysis of an activated wall module, Yang Xue, Technische Universität Darmstadt In addition to exchange within the Task 43 community, a joint workshop with the IEA #EBCAnnex84 (operating agent Anna Marszal-Pomianowska) broadened the view on flexibility and storage within buildings, fostering further exchange. Both initiatives of the IEA also used to opportunity to host a dedicated workshop on the hidden role of buildings for #flexibility during the ISEC - International Sustainable Energy Conference 2024 , including impulse presentations from research (Anna Marszal-Pomianowska, Matthias Kersken) and industry (Claudia Dankl from Vereinigung der Österreichischen Zementindustrie) as a trigger for discussion. 🙋♂️If you are interested about our work to make #thermalactivatedbuildingmass ready for #energystorage, get in touch: Task Manager Christoph Rohringer: c.rohringer@aee.at Task Homepage: https://lnkd.in/dijMfQQJ Powered by: AEE INTEC; BEST - Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH; Aalborg University; Technische Universität Dresden; Technische Universität Darmstadt; International Energy Agency (IEA); IEA Energy Storage TCP; Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation & Technologie #AEEINTEC #ideatoaction