(Versión en español abajo)
In June, Finnova had a busy month of sustainable energy events, workshops, conferences, meetings and round tables under the umbrella of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), which was promoting Energy Days throughout the month.
The weeks before, during and after the official EUSEW hosted (13-17 June) focused events in which Finnova participated or organised in Brussels, Madrid, Valencia, Cadiz and Berlin. These events covered technical sessions, innovation forums, entrepreneurial events, and also targeted both corporate and public administration sectors.
“Participating in EUSEW has been also a recognition of the 4-years-old StartUp Europe Accelerator of Finnova, which brings European Commission programmes and resources to StartUps and entrepreneurs, focused on fostering innovation projects; especially in the areas of renewable energies, eco-innovation, social-innovation, Tech-based or ICT solutions”, remarked Juan Manuel Revuelta, Director General of Finnova.
EUSEW, an initiative of the European Commission, is the month-long annual series of activities across Europe, promoting secure, clean and efficient energy, and connecting policymakers, stakeholders and citizens to achieve climate and energy goals for the Energy Union.
“Finnova through the participation in EUSEW has gained access to a wide and captive audience in order disseminate the benefits and opportunities promised by the NOBEL GRID Horizon 2020 project, in which we are partners”, stressed Sharam Yalda, Head of Regenerative Business Innovation & Climate Change of Finnova.
Two Energy Days organised by Finnova in June, one in Brussels together with Partenalia: “Best Practices on Energy projects under the EU Framework Programmes” and other in Valencia together with Diputación de Valencia and AVAESEN: “European funding for a sustainable future”.
During both events NOBEL GRID was presented to show how it will contribute in the Energy Union and improve Smart Grids.
The H2020 project also participated in the EUSEW Policy Conference “New Standard for Smart appliances in the smart home” the 16th June in Brussels. The aim of this seminar was to disseminate how smart appliances using a shared model of consensus, so called SAREF (Smart Appliances REFerence), and dedicated software applications may contribute to promoting more sustainable energy use in households and neighbourhoods.
There it created synergies and showcased its new Smart Meter designed to implement many additional functions comparing with current smart meters such “flexibility in adding new features during its lifetime, including unforeseen ones. One such unforeseen aspect is the challenge to map existing demand response features on the new SAREF ontology” explained Mihai Sanduleac, R&D Director of ECRO SRL (partner of the project).
Furthermore, European bodies shown great interest in Finnova energy initiatives at the Startup Europe Summit 2016 in Berlin 9-10 June. Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Markku Markkula, both found out NOBEL GRID project and the StartUp Europe Awards 2016 (SEUA16).
In Madrid Finnova attended to the Energy and Environment International Trade Fair of Madrid (GENERA) to met the main scientific and technological advancements in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and especially with Rafael Apraiz, CEO of the Spanish Technical Association for Waste Management and Environment (ATEGRUS).
“Nowadays waste concerns energy”, stated Rafael Apraiz, since some alternative energy companies are developing new ways to recycle waste by generating electricity from landfill waste and pollution.
Moreover, representatives of overseas projects in the field of hydropower shared with Finnova their knowledge and best practices like ITAIPU Binacional in Paraguay and Brazil, the world’s largest generator of renewable clean energy, and Renace Project of Multinversiones in Guatemala, a hydropower project to benefit the country by supporting social development and sustainability.
In Cadiz, Finnova participated in a successful workshop on Environment and Energy: EU Funding, to bring EU energy initiatives and
opportunities closer to entrepreneurs.
Month-end closing took place at the 5th Annual Conference InnoGrid2020+ the 27-28 June in Brussels, where knowledge, views and best practices were shared with other expertises within the smart grids and the digital market fields and NOBEL GRID exhibited its poster.