Number: 01 Date: 06/08/2009 Category: Natural resources and environment Contact: David Bullejos Martín Telephone: (+34) 957 21 83 36 Email: bullejos@uco.es

EBT COMPANY (TECHNOLOGY-BASED COMPANY) FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CORDOBA RESEARCHES INTO HEAT STORAGE SYSTEMS IN THERMOSOLAR PLANTS.

Helianthus, a Technology-based Company of the University of Cordoba, set up in 2007, is carrying out research with the Electrical Engineering Department of Carlos III University of Madrid. It is a collaboration agreement for a research project of the Cenit programme (national Strategical Consortiums in Technical Research), that looks into the improvement parameters for the storage of large deposits of thermal solar energy. The objective is to have the power generation turbines working all night long and use renewable energy, such as solar energy, in the night time too or in periods of time when the need of electricity consumption is higher, the Cordoba-based researcher stated. The process consists of heating salts in a cylinder-parabolic mirrors facet throughout the day until it smelts (450 and 600ºC), and storing them in containers close to the thermosolar plant, as they are used to exchange heat with water vapour, which is taken to the power generation turbines, and using that heat when needed. ’It does not imply energy saving but the use of renewable energy (solar, thermal) in the most demanded times’ because, ‘until now, such unavailability at those implied turning to other power sources (nuclear, gas, coal, ...) and leave the renewable ones as the last resource’, the researcher warned. The objective of the Cenit programme is funding great projects that generate knowledge and further the creation of products for the future, thus improving the Spanish R & D. This event is part of the Ingenio 2010 programme of the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), of the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry. Other projects The company Helianthus, set up in 2007, provides engineering and management services to get an efficient use of energy, and it is involved in the development of renewable resources. In short, it develops power supply work, renewable energies storage and energy assessment projects, among others. EBT is now working in the distribution of low power consumption lights with LED technology semiconductors (excitation of electric charges in semiconductors) and photovoltaic systems (photovoltaic solar panels) in locations where the electricity supply is not possible. Therefore, if they are used instead of the usual lights, up to 90% of energy can be saved. ‘They are high power mechanisms with a lower consumption than the lights used in standard street lights’, David Bullejos said. Another one of the projects carried out by Helianthus is the wording of Reports on Judicial Proceedings, where studies for power supply companies are carried out. They set the causes and responsibilities with regard to incidences and accidents on the transport and distribution power network (breakdowns, storms, accidents, works, overloads, birds, etc).