Renewable Energy

• Hydroelectric

- A mini-hydroelectricity plant is located inside Environment Park. The plant, which takes advantage of a vertical drop of 5.5 meters in the canal known as Canale Meana (off the Dora Riparia river), drives a Kaplan type, vertical-axis turbine to produce clean electricity. The effective power that can be produced by the system is approximately 434 kW with an average production of 3,800,000 kWh/year. - Energy from water in the Spina 3 district of Turin. Environment Park will be the first former industrial district in Europe to be totally carbon free. The hydroelectric plant by day will provide clean power to the science and technology park (70 companies plus the offices of Envipark for a total of 45,000 sq m); by night, when energy demand is low, the power is used to produce hydrogen, an ecological fuel for the HysyRiders, zero-impact mopeds created by the HysyLab at Environment Park.

• Biomass

The hydrogen production plant has three processing lines for the pre-treatment of biomass and the purification of gas

• Hydrogen

Center of excellence in technologies HySy Lab.

Sustainable Development

• Energy Efficiency

- Energy management: operations aimed at optimising plant running costs, study of measures for the modification and reduction of energy consumption, optimisation of contracts, supervision of the principal electrical and thermal quantities. - Energy saving operations: identification of solutions for the building-plant system in order to increase energy efficiency.

• Green Building

- The Green Building unit offers consultancy and design services in the field of eco-compatible architecture. - Clean NT Lab is a technological unit dedicated to the treatment of surfaces with eco-efficient nano-technologies (low environmental impact - Clean).

Sustainable Transportation

• Hydrogen

Use of hydrogen as an energy vector

• Fuel Cells

Fuel cells for the production of power in electric road vehicles.

Conservation

• General

The Integrated Environmental Projects observatory deals with companies and institutions, providing innovative and eco-efficient solutions based on the cross integration of specific areas of competence in relation to all environmental matters.

Sustainable Development

• Energy Efficiency
  - Energy management: operations aimed at optimising plant running costs, study of measures for the modification and reduction of energy consumption, optimisation of contracts, supervision of the principal electrical and thermal quantities.
  - Energy saving operations: identification of solutions for the building-plant system in order to increase energy efficiency.

Sustainable Transportation

• Fuel Cells
  - FC AUTO: By developing innovative components, the initiative intends to promote competences improvement aiming at future effects on production in fuel cell systems, in particular for car industry applications, according to one of the European Union’s strategic research Agendas. The project is structured on applied research activities and aims at industrial benefits on the territory as well as environmental objectives using hydrogen as energetic vector and fuel cells for electrical energy production in road propulsion. In order to achieve this objective, “Demonstration Projects”(components, systems, applications) will be realized thanks to the collaboration between project partners, CRF (technology partner) and firms.
  - CelcoYachts: The project foresees the study, the realization and boat tests of an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) based on fuel cell technology. On-board system is composed of a 6 kW stack for Electric Power Production, a reforming unit able to produce hydrogen from commercial petrol, and electrical converters able to bring the electrical energy produced up to 230 Volt Pressure alternating current.
  - MicroCHP: The project aims at developing a CHP unit (Combined Heat and Power generation) based on the combination of a methane steam reformer and a polymeric fuel cell stack in order to analyze potentialities in multi-domestic applications and small uses in the service sector (hotels, restaurants, offices…). The CHP unit will be able to supply 5.5 kW electric power and 5.5 kW as regards a thermal power running at a 100%. A 60% of the maximum nominal power running is foreseen when heat demand in the intermediate season (spring-autumn) is lower compared to wintertime.
  The main conditions of a future marketing referring to the co-generator are:
  ‘-Noise levels below 50 dBA
  - Electrical efficiency > 30%.
  - Total efficiency (electrical + thermal ) > 80%.
  - Compact dimensions.
  - Microcell: The project aims at developing direct methanol and ethanol fuel cell “stack” able to satisfy requirements needed from Small Energy Sources market (lighting, anti-theft systems, sensors, mobile telephony, production relocation of electric energy). The final product will be a 1-1.5 W system able to supply load current of 500 mA at 3.6 V. It will be a compact modular unit composed of 12 low cost cells (2x2 cm2) and running with low temperature (30-60°C). Its performance is similar to a lithium-ion battery for cellular telephones having at least five-times more charge for the same volume.
  - EOS (Energia da Ossidi Solidi): EOS foresees the realization of a R&D laboratory on SOFCs (Solide Oxide Fuel Cell) cogeneration in TurboCare plant.
  Many projects are developed in the laboratory, from experimental measures during field exercises to the Development of models.
  The project concerns two internal reforming natural gas systems respectively able to produce 100 kWe-65 kWt and 125 kWe-115 kWt.
  We expect EOS to enhance knowledge on phenomenology and problems dealing with the construction, the function and the management of SOFCs. We also expect EOS to contribute to the training of scientists, engineers and technicians.
• Biofuel
  BioH2
  The BioH2Power project aims at evaluating the feasibility of a power unit (250 kW) based on a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC), integrated with a biogas fuel processor (FP) for methane and hydrogen production used by a distribution station fitted to fuel 20-100 vehicles per day. MCFCs are adapted for biogas thanks to their high-efficiency and as they can work on Syngas (synthesis gas) H2/CO/CO2 (biogas has high CO2 contents).
  Here are the objectives of the project:
  '- high purity H2 produced > 99.99%
  - H2 production > 5 Nm3/h
  - operational tests > 1000 h
  - H2accumulation > 90%
  - FP (LHV) efficiency > 75% and full load efficiency > 85%

Conservation

• General
  International projects: Environment Park develops and conducts, on an international level, research and technology transfer projects in the environmental technologies sector, sometimes in collaboration with the Piedmont Region’s “multi-utility” companies.
  The International Projects area specialises in the following sectors:
  - applied research projects in the technological units fields of expertise, in collaboration with leading companies in the sphere of the European Union’s Framework Research Programs;
  - technology transfer in the technological units fields of expertise, in collaboration with the Region’s “multi-utility” companies in the sphere of European and National Programs;
  - promotion of Piedmontese companies that produce environmental technologies in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and the Foreign Centre of the Piedmontese Chambers of Commerce.