#109 Wave Power Plant in the Bay of Biscay
Wow! We were exposed to such forceful, deep and reverberant sounds and vibrations inside the Mutriku Breakwater Wave Plant when the waves hit the walls!
Jon Lekube, project manager of BiMEP that is responsible for the power plant, let us have a quick look inside the 296 kW plant where we were facing some of the 16 air chambers each of which houses a turbine weighing 1,200 kg. "Since it is low tide, the waves are small at the moment", our pioneer said. Still we had to be ready to run out of the building at the right time in order to avoid getting too wet. Another day filled with awe and excitement!
Global potential of oceanic wave energy is estimated at 1.8TW but is largely untapped. The Mutriku plant, located in the bay of Biscay in Basque Country, is expected to spur similar developments across the world to tap this energy.
Using water column technology, the Mutriku plant generates enough energy to power 250 households and produces 600,000 kWh of electricity per year which result in annual savings of 600 ton of carbon emissions. The project of the Mutriku Breakwater Wave Power Plant won the ‘Outstanding International Achievement in Green Energy’ award from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry.
#108 Sustainable Festivals
Scenario: you go to a festival with your loved ones, you feel good and at the end the environment also feels good ☀️☀️☀️ But wait! This is no longer a scenario, but reality. How cool it is to know that there will be many more festivals from now on, just because the organizers have chosen to be sustainable!!!!
#107 Electric Yachts, Sustainable Luxury
After a pretty coastal drive from Italy to Monaco, we visited François Richard, CEO of Lanéva that develops 100% electric luxury boats. The company deservedly won the prestigious 2021 UIM Environmental Award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to the production of fully electric yachts. And it was not the only prize they were awarded. Have you ever heard about the Solar Impulse Foundation Label? Bertrand Piccard created this label as part of his “1000 Solutions for the Planet”. This program is intended to promote innovations that are both profitable and virtuous for the environment. Last year Lanéva Boats received the Solar Impulse Label, too.
#106 Solar Furnace
Behind the mirrors lies PROMES Laboratory that belongs to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The laboratory aims at developing scientific knowledge and technology in the field of solar energy conversion — into electricity, heat or solar fuels — and use, particularly dealing with concentrated solar energy (thermal and PV) and smart grids. Research also focuses on “high temperature materials” for space applications. 🛰 It was so fascinating to peek behind the scenes with m deputy director Emmanuel Guillot who not only talked about the history and the working principle of the solar furnace but also showed us how efficient it is. We were melting a stone with the heat this immense solar furnace can create in a couple of moments. And that is still far from its peak performance! Equivalent to concentrating the energy of "10,000 suns", the solar furnace produces a peak power of 3200 kW, and temperatures above 3000 °C can be obtained in a few seconds — without any pollution. ☀️
#105 Taking advantage of Italy`s windy hills and sunny days
Historically, BKW's business in Italy has focused on the production and sale of energy. In recent years the company has invested heavily to create a production portfolio of more than 560 MW that uses different sources of energy: water and wind, but also natural gas. In line with the group strategy, BKW Italia is working to expand its offer of tailor-made services in the renewable energy systems sector.
Learn more here: https://www.bkw-italia.it/it
#104 Off Grid House
Living off grid, using only energy from solar power. David Davis mentioned that charging our Tesla`s can be fully charged only by the sun, and in the meantime still be able to supply energy for the house. This is so cool!
David is a solar electric pioneer having built his first wind turbine aged 15. An experienced engineer and designer David designed the unique and revolutionary autonomous Solar Electric Club Headquarters at Helios Eco Lab in Kouvaras. David’s vision is to enable the Solar Electric eco system to be an accessible and viable alternative to polluting fossil fuel energy and mobility.
Learn more: https://www.solarelectricclub.com/about/
#103 Electric Motorcycles
Energica Motor Company S.p.A. is the first manufacturer of supersport electric motorcycles Made in Italy.
Energica electric motorcycles are the maximum expression of Italian exclusivity, masterfully made in the Italian motor district: Modena.
#102 Geothermal Energy
We discussed with Riccardo Clementi from Enel Group, and we also had a chance to visit Museo della Geotermia di Larderello where Giorgio Simoni shared impressive stories about the history and technology of geothermal energy utilization. What is geothermal power? How is it produced? Geothermal power plants use high-temperature (150 °C to 370 °C) hydrothermal resources, either dry steam or hot water, that power a turbine in order to generate electricity. Some geothermal wells are as much as 3 km deep! Geothermal power is considered to be a sustainable, renewable source of energy because the heat extraction is small compared to the heat content of the Earth. The story of geothermal power began 118 years ago when Prince Piero Ginori Conti. Tested the first geothermal power generator in Larderello and managed to lit four light bulbs. 💡💡💡💡 Later, in 1911, the world's first commercial geothermal power station was built there. And today, 33% of Tuscany’s and 3% of Italy's electricity is produced with geothermal power!
#101 Company charging solutions
"The complexity of charging solutions makes some companies hesitate. As a full-service provider, we offer our customers the security of being perfectly looked after in absolutely every respect. That means one contact person from planning to hardware, installation, operation and billing." - Ronald Lausch, Head of Sales and Marketing at Smatrics. Listen to this interview for more details about Smatrics charging solutions and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Learn more: https://smatrics.com/
#100 Sustainable Electromobility
Electromobility is the key to the sustainable reduction of CO2 emissions in the transport sector. That is why VERBUND Energy4Business GmbH opted for electromobility early on and advanced the development of Austria's high-power charging infrastructure. We discussed with Alex Decker, Project Leader E-Mobility, VERBUND Energy4Business GmbH. With their expertise in the field of battery storage, VERBUND offers customers a meaningful addition and access to the subject of flexibility. Learn more about VERBUND: https://www.verbund.com/en-at