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RENEWABLE ENERGY GETS "SMART": focus on Alpine Space European Programme and Renewable Energies in Italy |
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International Conference on Renewable Energies Belluno October 15th - 16th 2009 Mountain areas are ready to take on a leading role in the energy challenge which involves territories and institutions at different levels. This idea is central to the work of the partners of Alpenergy Project which is part of the Alpine Space European Programme. Besides Consorzio Bim Piave of Belluno which organizes this meeting, they are Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH (Germany), Elektro Gorenjska (Slovenia), Elektro Gorenjska, podjetje za distribucijo električne ENERGIJE (Slovenia), Provincia di Mantova, Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta, Allgäu Initiative GbR (Germany) and Rhônalpénergie-Environnement (France), Regionalna razvojna agencija Gorenjske (Slovenia), Rhônalpénergie-Environnement (France), BAUM Consult GmbH (Germany) in close cooperation with the observer SIR (Salzburger Institut für Raumordnung und Wohnen), Fondazione Politecnico di Milano (Italy), ALaRI – Advanced Learning and Research Institute at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) (Switzerland), Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (France). Their aim is elaborating a management system which integrates small units of distributed generation into electricity networks. The starting premise is very simple. The production of energy from renewable sources is not constant and regular, but it varies depending on the force of the wind, the presence of the sunand the flow of water in stream.
Consumption also follows irregular trends which vary during the day and depending on the seasons. So, how can energy be distributed to users synchronizing production and regulating supply according to demand? These are the issues faced by the project with the partners from countries of the Alpine area. The target is developing a model of intelligent network to be applied at local level. Such a network should be able to receive the energy produced by photovoltaic and mini hydroelectric systems, and by plants fuelled by renewable sources (e.g. biogas and biomasses) and integrate it into the supply network in an optimal way. It is necessary to find a management model which makes the single sections of the electrical network independent, so that every territory can adjust the distribution to users according to consumption, thus optimizing the contribution of renewable sources. The prospective result of the project is an information system which will be able to collect the trend of both production and consumption in real time. The load peaks will be recognized by the management software which will intervene to balance them and will provide information for the self-regulation of consumption, thus promoting a more rational use of energy. |