Final Report Summary - EFISOL (Solar thermal cogeneration plant based on organic Rankine cycle)
Executive summary:
This report covers the work on the EFISOL project which received funding under the European Commission (EC)'s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
The EC has invested substantial funds in renewable energy sources in order to increase the overall efficiency of technology, improve their cost benefit effects and finally gradually reduce incentives on renewables. As a response the project partners have developed a product that remains profitable even with lower electrical energy incentives. The strategic overall objective of the project was to develop an efficient and cost effective solar energy system for combined electrical energy power and hot water production that uses concentrated beam solar radiation as the primary energy source. Heat storage tank is capable of storing enough heat energy (1 600 kWh, giving two hours storage capability), at the appropriate temperature (of about 110 to 270 degrees of Celsius) during the day to deliver it back continuously, at the correct rate, at the required temperature, during periods of reduces insulation. This heat storage system is a highly important part for the success of the overall system and will demonstrate this technology to provide the longer term objective of storage for continuous production during the hours of darkness.
A concept is based on the highly innovative integration of existing technologies, development of new thermo energetic components and advance guidance and control system implementation. All components were integrated and optimised as an autonomous unmanned power production unit in a form of a new commercial product, the EFISOL, a combination of following key innovative technologies:
(a) half linear Fresnel-lens-based concentrators;
(b) organic Rankine cycle (ORC);
(c) cogeneration unit;
(d) advanced control system.
The system is suitable for various small and medium energy consumers, particularly for those placed in 'sunny areas' such as the Mediterranean. Various types of energy consumers e.g. hotel resorts, campsites, industrial units, housing groups and energy producer entrepreneurs are targeted future users. Final product can produce renewable electrical energy to be sold directly to the power grids or used for internal consumption purposes.
Market drivers and potentials
A described hybrid ORC plants based on solar thermal concentrators plant has the large market potential on the European Union (EU) and global market as well. The first targeted area is going to be the EU market, specifically Mediterranean area that is very suitable for this kind of plants having a high number of sunny days.
Main targeted customers (several thousands in each category) for the product are: large and medium hotel organisations and chains, autonomous RES energy producers, entrepreneurs, residential areas, industrial (industrial plants), agriculture, and public (hospitals, army sites) organisations.
Project context and objectives:
Scientific objective
The objective is to research, cost and design a heat storage tank, capable of storing enough heat energy (1 600 kWh, giving two hours storage capability), at the appropriate temperature (to about 110 to 270 degrees of Celsius) during the day to deliver it back continuously, at the correct rate, at the required temperature, during periods of reduced insulation.
Technological objectives and achievement actions
(1) Development of a solar concentrator design and prototype that is based on the new Microsharp product the solar concentrating film. An important consideration for the overall success of the EFISOL proposal is the selection of a suitable material for the solar col-lector cradle and tracking array. The system has to meet some strict design and performance parameters:
(a) due to the large area of collectors required for the typical plant (approximately 3 000 m2), the full scale production cost of the cradle / tracker array must not exceed 70 EUR / m2 of collector;
(b) total weight of collector and cradle / tracker 5 kg / m2;
(c) over 15 year lifetime;
(d) temperature range - 20 to + 40 degrees of Celsius;
(e) ultraviolet resistant.
(f) minimum maintenance (i.e. not painted).
(2) Development of solar plant advanced guidance and control system capable of operating the plant optimally according predefined defined criteria along with the develop of knowledge based expert system to assure safe autonomous and unmanned plant operation. To satisfy customer requirements and answer to the challenges of this objective a modern guidance and control power plant system with following modules will be developed:
(a) sun tracking module;
(b) power management;
(c) integrated coordinated control;
(d) faults detection, identification, analysis and control reconfiguration;
(d) remote monitoring and control.
In order to achieve these objectives partners are presenting a concept that is based on the highly innovative integration of existing technologies, development of new thermo energetic components and advance guidance and control system implementation. All components will be integrated and optimised as an autonomous unmanned power production unit in a form of new commercial product, the EFISOL.
Project results:
The work programme was divided into eight Work packages with the objective to research (WP1) and develop (WP2 and WP3) the main innovations to be implemented. The developed technology was then integrated into a product prototype (WP 4), tested and validated (WP5).
Project results / exploitable foreground:
(a) solar concentrator;
(b) heat storage tank;
(c) expert control system;
(d) fully functional prototype.
Potential impact:
Product market niche:
A described hybrid ORC plants based on solar thermal concentrators plant has the large market potential on the EU and global market as well. As a first targeted area, the EU market, especially Mediterranean area is very suitable for this kind of plants respect to high number of sunny days.
The size of the market potential only in Croatia is regulated by the governmental acts, and in next 10 years it could be estimated at least 3 MW of electrical output power. That makes some 750 kW available for this application (on 25 % of estimated market share for project partners), and this results as at least 6 - 8 plants to be installed only in Croatia.
Simplified profit and loss (P&L) account:
The calculation clearly shows that the project will start to generate profits even in the first year of exploitation (year 2011), while in the next two years the product will reach the breakeven point. This could be shifted on a time line +/-one year, in dependence of market condition and real expenses. There is an investment of EUR 2.5 million planned in second year of exploitation for the expansion of production capacities. With the increase of produced quantities in year 2015 another organisational expansion in space and production equipment is foreseen, and for this expansion additional EUR 2 million are inserted in a budget.
BRODARSKI INSTITUT d.o.o.
Av. Veceslava Holjevca 20
10020 Zagreb
Tel: +38-501-6504103
Fax: +38-501-6504408
Contact: Davor Linaric
Email: davor.linaric@hrbi.hr
List of websites: http://www.efisol.org
This report covers the work on the EFISOL project which received funding under the European Commission (EC)'s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
The EC has invested substantial funds in renewable energy sources in order to increase the overall efficiency of technology, improve their cost benefit effects and finally gradually reduce incentives on renewables. As a response the project partners have developed a product that remains profitable even with lower electrical energy incentives. The strategic overall objective of the project was to develop an efficient and cost effective solar energy system for combined electrical energy power and hot water production that uses concentrated beam solar radiation as the primary energy source. Heat storage tank is capable of storing enough heat energy (1 600 kWh, giving two hours storage capability), at the appropriate temperature (of about 110 to 270 degrees of Celsius) during the day to deliver it back continuously, at the correct rate, at the required temperature, during periods of reduces insulation. This heat storage system is a highly important part for the success of the overall system and will demonstrate this technology to provide the longer term objective of storage for continuous production during the hours of darkness.
A concept is based on the highly innovative integration of existing technologies, development of new thermo energetic components and advance guidance and control system implementation. All components were integrated and optimised as an autonomous unmanned power production unit in a form of a new commercial product, the EFISOL, a combination of following key innovative technologies:
(a) half linear Fresnel-lens-based concentrators;
(b) organic Rankine cycle (ORC);
(c) cogeneration unit;
(d) advanced control system.
The system is suitable for various small and medium energy consumers, particularly for those placed in 'sunny areas' such as the Mediterranean. Various types of energy consumers e.g. hotel resorts, campsites, industrial units, housing groups and energy producer entrepreneurs are targeted future users. Final product can produce renewable electrical energy to be sold directly to the power grids or used for internal consumption purposes.
Market drivers and potentials
A described hybrid ORC plants based on solar thermal concentrators plant has the large market potential on the European Union (EU) and global market as well. The first targeted area is going to be the EU market, specifically Mediterranean area that is very suitable for this kind of plants having a high number of sunny days.
Main targeted customers (several thousands in each category) for the product are: large and medium hotel organisations and chains, autonomous RES energy producers, entrepreneurs, residential areas, industrial (industrial plants), agriculture, and public (hospitals, army sites) organisations.
Project context and objectives:
Scientific objective
The objective is to research, cost and design a heat storage tank, capable of storing enough heat energy (1 600 kWh, giving two hours storage capability), at the appropriate temperature (to about 110 to 270 degrees of Celsius) during the day to deliver it back continuously, at the correct rate, at the required temperature, during periods of reduced insulation.
Technological objectives and achievement actions
(1) Development of a solar concentrator design and prototype that is based on the new Microsharp product the solar concentrating film. An important consideration for the overall success of the EFISOL proposal is the selection of a suitable material for the solar col-lector cradle and tracking array. The system has to meet some strict design and performance parameters:
(a) due to the large area of collectors required for the typical plant (approximately 3 000 m2), the full scale production cost of the cradle / tracker array must not exceed 70 EUR / m2 of collector;
(b) total weight of collector and cradle / tracker 5 kg / m2;
(c) over 15 year lifetime;
(d) temperature range - 20 to + 40 degrees of Celsius;
(e) ultraviolet resistant.
(f) minimum maintenance (i.e. not painted).
(2) Development of solar plant advanced guidance and control system capable of operating the plant optimally according predefined defined criteria along with the develop of knowledge based expert system to assure safe autonomous and unmanned plant operation. To satisfy customer requirements and answer to the challenges of this objective a modern guidance and control power plant system with following modules will be developed:
(a) sun tracking module;
(b) power management;
(c) integrated coordinated control;
(d) faults detection, identification, analysis and control reconfiguration;
(d) remote monitoring and control.
In order to achieve these objectives partners are presenting a concept that is based on the highly innovative integration of existing technologies, development of new thermo energetic components and advance guidance and control system implementation. All components will be integrated and optimised as an autonomous unmanned power production unit in a form of new commercial product, the EFISOL.
Project results:
The work programme was divided into eight Work packages with the objective to research (WP1) and develop (WP2 and WP3) the main innovations to be implemented. The developed technology was then integrated into a product prototype (WP 4), tested and validated (WP5).
Project results / exploitable foreground:
(a) solar concentrator;
(b) heat storage tank;
(c) expert control system;
(d) fully functional prototype.
Potential impact:
Product market niche:
A described hybrid ORC plants based on solar thermal concentrators plant has the large market potential on the EU and global market as well. As a first targeted area, the EU market, especially Mediterranean area is very suitable for this kind of plants respect to high number of sunny days.
The size of the market potential only in Croatia is regulated by the governmental acts, and in next 10 years it could be estimated at least 3 MW of electrical output power. That makes some 750 kW available for this application (on 25 % of estimated market share for project partners), and this results as at least 6 - 8 plants to be installed only in Croatia.
Simplified profit and loss (P&L) account:
The calculation clearly shows that the project will start to generate profits even in the first year of exploitation (year 2011), while in the next two years the product will reach the breakeven point. This could be shifted on a time line +/-one year, in dependence of market condition and real expenses. There is an investment of EUR 2.5 million planned in second year of exploitation for the expansion of production capacities. With the increase of produced quantities in year 2015 another organisational expansion in space and production equipment is foreseen, and for this expansion additional EUR 2 million are inserted in a budget.
BRODARSKI INSTITUT d.o.o.
Av. Veceslava Holjevca 20
10020 Zagreb
Tel: +38-501-6504103
Fax: +38-501-6504408
Contact: Davor Linaric
Email: davor.linaric@hrbi.hr
List of websites: http://www.efisol.org
