Climate and Energy Systems Engineering
Learning Community
Port of Maassluis
The Port of Maassluis Learning Community is an innovative hub committed to developing a green and self-sustaining energy system for its harbor. Collaborating with local businesses and residents, it's set to become a model for eco-friendly energy provision, integrating advanced technologies like Dr. Ten’s saltwater battery and SPIE's Integrated Virtual Power Plant.
Stakeholders
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Dokter Ten
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Green business Club Waterweg
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Gemeente Maassluis
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Ontwikkelstichting Loods M
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Hogeschool Rotterdam
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ROC Mondriaan
Coaches
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Prof. Rene van Swaaij (TU Delft)
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Hans Visser (Erfgoed Kwartiermaker)
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Peter Anker (Hogeschool van Rotterdam)
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Dr. Nico Persoon (ROC Mondriaan)
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Green Energy Provider Development
The municipality of Maassluis aims to transition into a professional, democratic green energy supplier. Objectives focus on establishing an intelligent, equitable energy system that overcomes existing uncertainties, contributes to sustainable energy efforts, and champions climate action. Loods M aims to lead this charge, ensuring moored ships and local dwellers benefit from renewable energy sources.
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Smart Grid Development
Maassluis faces the challenge of becoming a self-sufficient port with a pioneering smart grid. The objective is to surmount technical, economic, and organizational hurdles, creating a grid that not only supports sustainable energy use and climate action initiatives but also serves as an exemplar driving the adoption of green energy among docked vessels and local residents.
Learning Community
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is another Learning Communities with challenging topics. It focuses on the production, storage, safety and utilization of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. Participants dive into the science and engineering behind hydrogen production methods, including electrolysis and steam methane reforming.
They also explore the various applications of hydrogen, such as fuel cells and transportation, and assess the environmental benefits and challenges associated with hydrogen-based energy solutions.
Stakeholders:
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Hyer Power
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NIPV (Nederlands Instituut voor Publieke Veiligheid)
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The Green Village, TU Delft
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GroenvermogenNL HCA regio west
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Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
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Taakveld Veiligheid Energietransitie
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Landelijk Platform Veilige Leefomgeving
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Safety & Security Institute TBM (TU Delft)
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Energy Switch Zuid-Holland partners
Coaches:
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Saul Oost (Hyer Power)
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Hessel Jongbreur (ZEF)
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Ir. Ulrich Starke (ZEF)
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Dr. Sander Mertens (Haagse Hogeschool)
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Docent Process and Energy
Solar hydrogen & Solar fuels
The ZEF (Zero emission fuels) project focusses on the development of a small scale electrolyzer and air to methanol micro-plant to produce low cost green hydrogen and circular fuel. Thousands of devices can be installed in large solar farms in sunny regions (every 20 solar panels 1 device).
The cost of the electrolyzers and micro-plants can be reduced by an optimized design and mass manufacturing Low cost, fluctuating, solar energy is used as energy input without expensive power control to reduce the cost of hydrogen. Scalability is reached by standard Installation in large solar farms withouth the need for grid connection while project cots can be heavily reduced. The hydrogen can be used by the industry,or stored in liquid methanol for easy transport and used for b.e. shipping fuel.
The project is a cooperation between industry (ZEF, Promolding, Boers, VDL), knowledge institutes (TU Delft, TNO, ISPT) and students from MBO/ HBO/WO.
Stakeholders
ISPT Hyscaling/
Solar: Chint Solar
Opslag transport :Vopak
Hydrogen Enabled Flexible Power Hub
The "Hydrogen Enabled Flexible Power Hub" initiative, spearheaded by the Energy in Transition research group within the expertise center Mission Zero, focuses on using hydrogen fuel cells to bolster electricity grids during peak demand periods, addressing the critical challenge of power shortages in Medium Voltage lines. This project aims to reduce dependency on traditional energy sources, enhancing the stability of the energy supply and fostering innovation in renewable energy technologies. It targets energy providers and consumers, alongside external partners like Koppert Cress. Solving this issue promises a more resilient energy grid and promotes the efficient use of hydrogen, marking a significant step towards a sustainable energy future.
Hydrogen at the construction site
In partnership with I-EM Delft, HHS, TUD, and MBO Rijnland, this is an innovative project aimed at pioneering nitrogen-free construction sites in response to the Netherlands' critical nitrogen emissions issue. The project focuses on the development and integration of hydrogen technology in construction machinery, including electric cranes, excavators, and specially designed hydrogen-powered vehicles and construction trailers. This initiative seeks to evaluate and demonstrate the viability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen as a primary energy carrier for the construction industry, challenging traditional practices and paving the way for emission-free machinery. By constructing a detailed maquette of a hydrogen-powered construction site, the project aims to offer a tangible model for energy distribution, site layout, and operational efficiency.
Working safely with Hydrogen
The "Working Safely with Hydrogen" challenge, spearheaded by a consortium including Hyer Power, NIPV, and The Green Village at TU Delft, tackles the crucial challenge of ensuring safety in the use and storage of hydrogen within the built environment. This initiative, part of the broader ELEVATE project, aims to generate and disseminate comprehensive knowledge on the safe application of hydrogen technologies in energy systems. By focusing on safety studies in collaboration with a learning community, the project addresses the knowledge gap in handling hydrogen safely—crucial for public safety, infrastructure resilience, and the successful integration of hydrogen as a cornerstone of sustainable energy transitions. Achieving these objectives will significantly advance the safe adoption of hydrogen, aligning with SDGs on clean energy, industry innovation, and sustainable infrastructure, and fostering a safer, sustainable energy future.
Learning Community
Wind Energy
Within the Wind Energy Learning Community, participants engage in challenges centered around harnessing the power of wind as a renewable energy source. They explore the technology, design, and operational aspects of wind turbines, as well as the environmental and economic implications of wind energy projects. This Learning Community also examines the latest advancements in wind energy technology and their potential impact on the energy landscape.
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This challenge invites participants to explore the ecological impact of offshore wind farm installations, with a focus on developing tools or methods to measure effects on specific marine animal species. The goal is to enhance understanding of wind farms' environmental footprint, informing sustainable practices and mitigation strategies for biodiversity conservation in marine ecosystems.
Measuring ecological impact
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This challenge addresses the pressing issue of wind turbine blade disposal, focusing on sustainable recycling solutions. It aims to develop innovative methods to repurpose or recycle blades, reducing landfill waste and promoting circular economy principles. The objective is to mitigate environmental impact while advancing sustainable practices in the wind energy sector.
Recycling of turbine blades
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This is a challenge aimed to develop an Offshore Wind Farm game, designed as an engaging educational tool to demystify the complexities of energy systems, specifically focusing on the nuances of offshore wind energy. This game seeks to bridge educational gaps, offering insights into the environmental, operational, and economic challenges of wind farms through interactive gameplay. Targeting a broad audience including students and professionals from various educational institutions and companies like Eneco. The project addresses the urgent need for enhanced understanding and public awareness of renewable energy, aiming to equip players with the knowledge and skills for informed decision-making and fostering support for renewable energy advancements.
Offshore Wind Farm Game
Learning Community
Grid Congestion
The project focuses on creating an educational maquette to elucidate the concept of grid congestion (netcongestie) and its implications, particularly in the context of renewable energy integration. Aimed at The Green Village, this model will serve as a tool to visualize the challenges and solutions related to network capacity and the incorporation of various energy carriers for a balanced network.
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Educational model
Addressing the urgent need to explain and visualize grid congestion (netcongestie), this project seeks to design and construct an educational maquette that clearly demonstrates what grid congestion is and how it can be mitigated. The maquette will showcase the role of different energy carriers in network balancing and include real-life pilot projects from The Green Village. Objectives include simplifying complex concepts for a broad audience, fostering a deeper understanding of energy system challenges, and highlighting innovative solutions for network congestion.
Learning Community
Solar Energy
Solar energy represents a paradigm shift in the way we generate and consume power. At its core lies the remarkable ability of photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity, offering a clean and renewable alternative to fossil fuels. In this community the focus will be Solar foil. Solar foil is a relatively new innovation – it is essentially a flexible, thin foil; rather than the large solar energy panels that most people are familiar with. This innovation can be revolutionary in scaling-up the production of solar energy as it offers opportunities for new applications on large surface areas. For now, focus is specifically on agricultural sector. Think of water basins, silos and large greenhouse structures, or e.g. barns.
Implementation of Solar Foil
In the exploration of solar foil's potential, we are confronted with several challenges and opportunities that demand innovative solutions: Installation Challenges: How to effectively install solar foils on agricultural structures? Citizen Engagement: Engage and inform citizens about solar foil's potential in agriculture. Measurement Framework: Develop a comprehensive framework to measure agricultural and electrical yield. Market Positioning: Produce market analyses to position solar foil within agriculture. Governance and Stakeholders: Engage key stakeholders to facilitate solar foil adoption. Social Acceptance: Assess social acceptance of solar foil in agricultural contexts. Environmental Impact: Evaluate the environmental influence of solar foil use. Mechanical Structure Design: Design a flexible mechanical structure to support solar foil. Market Adoption: Identify factors driving farmers to adopt solar foil in agrosystems.
Learning Community
Noorderlicht
Noorderlicht is innovating in the realm of energy management with its Home Energy Management System (HEMS), aimed at revolutionizing energy consumption in homes and apartment buildings. By targeting main energy consumers like heat pumps and charging stations, Noorderlicht's HEMS seeks to optimize the use of solar energy and exploit dynamic hourly energy prices. This approach not only enhances energy efficiency within households but also contributes to broader societal benefits such as reduced energy grid strain and a significant cut in CO2 emissions. With smart algorithms, the system ensures daily optimization of energy usage in line with user comfort, thereby increasing household energy autonomy and maximizing the use of self-generated solar power.
User Engagement and Behavioral Change
This challenge aims to increase user engagement and promote sustainable energy behaviors through a user-friendly Home Energy Management System interface. Objectives encompass creating an intuitive platform that educates and motivates users to adopt energy-saving practices, leveraging self-generated solar power, and contributing to societal energy conservation goals.
Data-Driven Energy Impact Assessment
The challenge focuses on accurately measuring personal energy consumption to optimize usage and reduce CO2 emissions. Objectives include developing precise data collection methods, analyzing consumption patterns, and providing actionable insights for aligning energy use with renewable energy availability, enhancing overall energy efficiency.
