A dispatchable solar power system

The innovation is a temporary energy storage solution for thermal energy. This is done using a phase-change material based on aluminum, which is liquefied by the heat produced. When electricity is required, the heat in the material is transferred from the phase-change material via a heat transfer fluid to a Stirling engine, where the energy is converted to electricity. The thermal energy input can be excess electricity from e.g. solar panels or wind turbines, or heat from concentrated solar energy. This solution allows for storage and releasing of energy on demand based on the needs of the electricity grid.

Sweden

≈1

Surface water cleaning using separation

Surfcleaner removes oil and other waste products such as plastic and debris from water surfaces. This is done using automatic separator that automatically drags in everything (including water) into it. The water is then removed using separation and returned to the water mass while the rest of the materials is transported to a secondary storage unit that can be emptied at will. The device itself is cheap and requires minimal service while also having a long lifetime. The solution can be applied to specific situations such as oil spills or wastewater treatment, but also for general for areas such as plastic collection.

Sweden

≈1

Biological toilet solution

ECOLOO is a toilet that is waterless, sewage free, energy free and requires low maintenance. The toilet is not using any water for flushing, the only water that could be required is for secondary functions such as cleaning the toilet or for personal hygiene. All the human waste is broken down to tiny particles and can then be used as fertilizer. The solution avoided emissions by reducing the need for fresh water for flushing, eliminating the need to treat sewage water and by creating fertilizers when being used.

Sweden

≈1

Solar-driven ferries

NavAlt envisions a more efficient water transport system which doesn’t use fossil fuels. Navalt’s inland passenger transport solution, a solar-powered ferry, does not pollute the air or water. This also avoids smells from diesel. It has low noise and vibration, lowering rates of noise pollution. The ferry reduces the daily operating cost to 1/40th of a diesel ferry. The innovation has been tested and used for prolonged periods of time, succeeding in the beforementioned factors.

India

≲0.1

Biomass combustion for heating and cooking

The population in the Himalayas largely base their heating on coal or wood, which is problematic due to deforestation and air pollution among other things. In addition to having using several techniques for improving the efficiency (such as pre-heat airflow channels and bell-effect heat trapping), The Rocket stove has a secondary combustion chamber where unburnt material is used to provide otherwise lost heating energy, which reduces fuel demand by 50% and smoke pollution by approximately 90%.

India

≲0.1

Microgrid monitoring and optimisation

The innovation is a smart meter that will enable better end-to-end use of solar micro grids. It includes a monitoring system, working with measuring nodes on various parts of the micro grid, that give the user better understanding of the micro grid’s current state. The monitoring system identifies potential issues in the grid so that preventive action can be taken. The system also improves the uptime of the micro grid and thereby the quality of the supply. The smart analytics will help improve the distribution of energy resources within the micro grid.

India

≲0.1

Low energy landfill leachate treatment

LAT Water’s key innovation involves the treatment of landfill leachate water using Low temperature, Ambient pressure Technology (LAT). The solution provides a low energy process for treating/extracting clean water from heavily contaminated industrial water using waste heat or renewables at a lower cost than legacy systems thus providing carbon savings.

United Kingdom

Online clothes sharing platform

The Nu Wardrobe wrote: Nu is an online platform for people to share and swap their clothes. Users get a constantly changing wardrobe that's convenient to use and inexpensive. And, as a community, we extend the life-cycle of our clothes and significantly reduce waste. . The platform works like a social network and will initially be aimed at female university students. Users sign up, upload their wardrobe and tag their items by size, colour, and style. They browse through the nu wardrobe, choose items that they like and request to book them out for certain dates. The lender accepts the request and a collection or delivery is arranged. Users pay a service fee for each item borrowed or swapped on the platform. There are no additional rental or subscription fees... Source: EIT Climate KIC's ClimateLaunchPad

Ireland

:Thing

:Thing wrote: Business need #1 : optimising operational expenses related to heating. Business need #2 : automated facility management and monitoring that scales. Business need #3 : making business more innovative and environmentally friendly. State-of-the-art solutions: training for janitors to manually operate on analogue tvrs. Fully fledged, enterprise grade systems (training and infrastructure required). Smart home systems (good for small scale only, poorly handle short term rentals). Our solution: iot-enabled radiator valves that can be controlled via a mobile-app and integrated with hotel management systems. With the data obtained from hotel management systems, it can optimise heating expenses while ensuring optimal end-user experience ... Source: EIT Climate KIC's ClimateLaunchPad

Poland

We lease greener electric delivery bikes

GreenZıp wrote: We lease electrıc delıvery bıkes to the food delıvery ındustry. The key aspect of our model ıs that the total runnıng costs of our product costs less than the fuel needed by conventıonal bıkes to make their deliveries which means day one savings even if the business already owns bikes. We offer a well thought out, no-fuss and complete package with maintenance and insurance included. We also include regular battery replacements to ensure continual performance throughout the lease period... Source: EIT Climate KIC's ClimateLaunchPad

Cyprus