This paper describes innovation in existing and future Master’s degree education in renewable energy at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen (Hanze UAS). Interrelationships between research and industry are significant within this education. Clearly illustrated by development of the Energy Transition Centre (EnTranCe), this facility at Hanze UAS uses open innovation to accelerate the application and functionality of technology. Enabling consumers to become producers (prosumers) is central to the approach to energy transition in Groningen. The city is located next to the largest natural gas field in Europe. As the fuel most suited to balancing the intermittent character of renewable energy sources, it is central to the technical approach at Hanze UAS. With the coming of the Energy Academy Europe and inclusion of Hanze UAS within the European Renewable Energy Research Centres Agency, Groningen is an international partner in education and perfectly positioned to innovatively assist energy transition.
DOCUMENT
Contribution to the conference: International Conference on New Pathways for Community Energy and Storage, 6-7 June 2019ABSTRACTThe community renewable energy is often seen as the way to address the societal challenge of energy transition. Many scholars foresee a key role for community energy in accelerating of the energy transition from fossil to renewable energy sources. For example, some authors investigated the transformative role of community renewable energy in the energy transition process (Seyfang and Smith, 2007; Seyfang and Haxeltine 2012; Seyfang et al. 2013; Seyfang et al. 2014; Smith et al. 2017; Martiskainen, 2017; Ruggiero et al. 2018; Hasanov and Zuidema, 2018; de Boer et al. 2018). Recognising the importance of community energy many scholars studied different internal and external conditions that contribute or hinder the success of local renewable energy initiatives (Walker et al. 2007; Bomberg and McEwen, 2012; Seyfang et al. 2013; Wirth, 2014; Hasanov and Zuidema, 2018; Ruggiero et al. 2018). One of such conditions contributing to the success of community energy initiatives is the capacity to adopt and utilize new technologies, for example, in the area of energy storage, which would increase flexibility and resilience of the communal energy supply systems.However, as noted by Ruggiero et al. (2018), the scholarship remains unclear on “how a very diverse and relatively small sector such as community energy could scale up and promote a change in the dominant way of energy production”. What is then the real transformative power of local renewable energy initiatives and whether community energy can offer an alternative to the existing energy system? This paper aims to answer these questions by confronting the critical review of theory with the recent practice of community energy in the Netherlands to build and scale up independent and self-sustaining renewable energy supply structures on the local and national scale and drafting perspectives on the possible role of community energy in the new energy system.
DOCUMENT
The climate change and depletion of the world’s raw materials are commonly acknowledged as the biggest societal challenges. Decreasing the energy use and the related use of fossil fuels and fossil based materials is imperative for the future. Currently 40% of the total European energy consumption and about 45% of the CO2 emissions are related to building construction and utilization (EC, 2015). Almost half of this energy is embodied in materials. Developing sustainable materials to find replacement for traditional building materials is therefore an increasingly important issue. Mycelium biocomposites have a high potential to replace the traditional fossil based building materials. Mycelium is the ‘root network’ of mushrooms, which acts as a natural glue to bind biomass. Mycelium grows through the biomass, which functions simultaneously as a growth substrate and a biocomposite matrix. Different organic residual streams such as straw, sawdust or other agricultural waste can be used as substrate, therefore mycelium biocomposites are totally natural, non-toxic, biological materials which can be grown locally and can be composted after usage (Jones et al., 2018). In the “Building On Mycelium” project Avans University of Applied Sciences, HZ University of Applied Sciences, University of Utrecht and the industrial partners will investigate how the locally available organic waste streams can be used to produce mycelium biocomposites with properties, which make them suitable for the building industry. In this project the focus will be on studying the use of the biocomposite as raw materials for the manufacturing of furniture or interior panels (insulation or acoustic).
Project aimsNorthSEE aims to achieve greater coherence in Maritime Spatial Planning (processes; MSP) and in Maritime Spatial Plans (outcomes/solutions), capturing synergies and preventing incompatibilities in the North Sea Region (NSR). The project seeks to create better conditions for sustainable development of the area in the fields of shipping, energy and environmental protection. NorthSEE is possible thanks to the financial support from the Interreg North Sea Region programme of the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).Project tasks and resultsTo suggest a multi-level coordination framework capable of supporting ongoing coordination in MSP across the NSR in the long term. To develop an information and planning platform for MSP, enabling planners and stakeholders to share evidence for MSP and test different planning options in the form of scenarios based on real data. The MSP Challenge computer-supported simulation game will became this platform. To increase the capacity of stakeholders in key transnational sectors to actively contribute to MSP To align approaches for taking into account wider environmental issues in MSP To facilitate greater transnational coherence in MSP with respect to offshore energy infrastructure To achieve greater transnational coherence in using MSP to support environmental protection objectives. To facilitate greater transnational coherence in MSP with respect to shipping routes.Our roleThe Academy for Digital Entertainment (ADE) of Breda University of Applied Sciences is a full partner in this project. ADE is responsible for designing and developing the MSP Challenge simulation game concerning the NSR, as well as facilitating its application, all with the aim of developing insights befitting the project aims and thus Maritime Spatial Planning in the North Sea Region (see task 2). We therefore work closely with all NorthSEE partners to define the right requirements and ensure that the simulation game fulfills them. Multiple MSP Challenge sessions are planned to help develop insightful future scenarios and useful planning solutions for the NSR. More information about MSP Challenge is available on NorthSEE (https://northsearegion.eu/northsee) and on its own website (https://www.mspchallenge.info/).
Kleine windturbines maken het mogelijk om windenergie te benutten voor de elektriciteitsopwekking op locaties waar dat met grote windturbines niet mogelijk is. Kleine windturbines hebben op dit moment nog geen echte plek in de duurzame energieopwekking in Nederland. Terwijl recente ontwikkelingen laten zien dat hier zeker een markt voor is, mits een aantal vraagstukken wordt opgelost. Het huidige project richt zich op het oplossen van die vraagstukken waarbij de hoofdvraag voor dit project als volgt luidt: Hoe kunnen kleine en miniwindturbines meer betrouwbaar en efficiënter worden en beter geïntegreerd worden met andere vormen van duurzame energie en wat moet er gedaan worden, en door wie, opdat ook deze windturbines een plek krijgen in de toekomstige duurzame energiemix in Nederland en daarbuiten. Project PUMSWindT2 bestaat uit: MKB/ZZP: - EAZ - Tandem Windenergy - Erjah holding - Right Connection - Green Trust - Tarucca - Omniwind - Vdesign Kennisinstellingen: - Hochschule Emden/Leer - TUDelft - Hanzehogeschool Branche: - Noordenwind - NWEA Testlocaties: - EnTranCe Groningen - Energiecampus Leeuwarden Recent is door de European Academy of Wind Energy een paper opgesteld “Current Status and Grand Challenges of Small Wind Energy Technology” [25] met bijdragen van vele vooraanstaande experts op dit gebied (inclusief 2 PUMSWindT projectpartners). Er is vastgesteld dat verschillende uitdagingen opgelost moeten worden om de kleine windturbinemarkt de plek te geven die het verdient: • Verbeteren energieconversie kleine windturbines • Beter voorspellen prestaties op lange termijn • Verbeteren van de economische levensvatbaarheid • Bijdrage aan energievraag en integratie van elektrische systemen • Stimuleren van betrokkenheid en sociale acceptatie Project PUMSWindT2 heeft vragen van de MKB-partners daarbij geïnventariseerd en stelt voor om deze uitdagingen in de volgende werkpakketten aan te pakken: 1. Technologie: Meting & Data verwerking 2. Technologie: LCOE reductie 3. Technologie: Wind- integratie 4. Marktontwikkeling 5. Ontwikkeling demonstratie en testsite
