- Address
Fonte das Abelleiras, s/n Campus Universitario de Vigo
36310VigoPO
Spain
Description
EnergyLab is a private technology centre specialised in energy efficiency and sustainability. It is a non-profit private entity set up on 2008 as an initiative of the industry and the Regional Government. EnergyLab identifies, develops and promotes technologies, processes, products and consumption behaviours able to contribute to the improvement of the energy efficiency and sustainability through its applications in industry, domestic products, mobility and buildings. In 2014, EnergyLab was recognised as National Technological Centre by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and it is member of ATIGA (Galician Technological Alliance). The technological aspect of the centre’s activity covers four main areas: - Bioenergy: this area develops projects related to different kind of renewable and alternative energy such as: biogas, biomass, geothermal, wave energy, etc. - Sustainable Mobility: electric mobility, gas mobility, etc. - Efficient Buildings: this area integrates the energy efficiency and renewable systems to implement in building. This area works on efficient technologies for heating, cooling and efficient lighting, and makes the studies to implement these systems in the sector. - Industry: this area implements energy efficiency and advances systems in industrial processes with technologies such as air compressed and adjustable speed drivers and, above all, specific systems for monitoring and data processing in industry process and buildings. All of them are based on our technological knowledge and experience both in energy analysis and in the development of saving measures. In order to develop these projects, EnergyLab’s staff is highly qualified people with great experience related to research and energy efficiency. In fact, the 25% of people are PhD. It is important to mention that ENERGYLAB is the reference center for a critical mass of more than 500 companies located in its nearest area, 98% of SMEs, in the fields of automotive, aeronautical, construction, metal-mechanics, shipbuilding, chemistry, capital goods, ceramics, food, cement, wood and agglomerates, plastics, engineering and others. The center aspires to become a key international center specialized in promoting energy efficiency and sustainability with the ability to guide, coordinate and lead innovative projects with a significant impact on society, the economy, and the environment. ENERGYLAB is part of two international networks: ReBiBiR Biomass Network: “Iberoamerican Network of Biomass and Rural Bioenergy Technologies” of CYTED and Biomass-AP Cross-Border Network. It is also member of the Technological Platform for the Protection of the Coast and Marine Environment (Pt-PROTECMA). It also participates in the BIOGA Hub (Cluster Technology Business of Life Sciences), supported by the Xunta de Galicia. It is an active member of the Blue Growth working groups led by the Port of Vigo. In addition, ENERGYLAB is a member of different Technology Platforms at European level, such as SPIRE and PCTP whose mission is to serve as a tool to improve the competitiveness, sustainability and growth of the EU industry.
EnergyLab Technology Centre
EnergyLab Technology Centre
Equipment
EnergyLab laboratories include high-tech equipment and offer their services to develop R+D+I projects related to the recovery of organic and biomass waste together with new biofuels testing for transport.
*Mobility: EnergyLab has specialised equipment which allows the centre to research on the alternative mobility area. As far as alternative fuels are concerned, there is a test bench to characterise the performance of gas fuels. It includes a dualised diesel cycle motor and an Otto cycle engine with biofuel system. Both of them are completely sensorised and include emissions measuring systems. In addition, there is also a gas mixer which allows to synthesise mixtures composed by up to 5 gases. In terms of electric mobility, the centre owns equipment to characterise the performance of batteries, charge and discharge, deep discharge and determination of capacity. The engine test bench for new fuels is equipped with a regenerative braking system and two combustion engines (diesel and petrol), stacks of batteries with different capacities, gas mixer, GNC storage tank and cryogenic storage tank.
* Biogas: Our centre owns the scientific and technological equipment to characterise both the products and waste from anaerobic digestion (biogas and digestates) and the biogas cleaning and purification process. Furthermore, it has got a space to study new biogas cleaning and purification in-lab methods which are economically attractive. Among them, it must be underlined:
- Column for Chemical Absorption
- Reactor to grow Hydrogenotrophic Archaea
- CO2 Mineralization System
- A photobiorreactor to grow micro algae in order to capture CO2 and reduce the concentration of effluent’s nutrients. This laboratory accomplishes analysis like the chemical demand for oxygen (COD), pH and conductivity, total nitrogen and ammonium (NH4+), humidity, total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), alkalinity, fat, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), Anions (nitrite, nitrate, sulphate, phosphate) and determination of the biogas composition by gas chromatography. It is also possible to accomplish experiments in batch and semi-continuous reactors in which it is possible to determine the maximum potential of biogas and the presence of inhibitor compounds in waste.
*Biomass EnergyLab has a new laboratory of characterisation and valuation of biomass which is unique in the Euro-region (Galicia-North of Portugal). This laboratory will include – on one hand- specific equipment for the characterisation of biomass, more specifically for the performance of an immediate analysis (determination of humidity, ash content, volatile matter and fixed carbon) and determination of calorific value by a isoperibol bomb calorimeter. On the other hand, the laboratory will allow to open an innovative line of research for the energy valuation of the biomass thanks to a micro cogeneration, based on a biomass boiler for domestic environment which will feed a low-power organic cycle of Rankine , allowing the simultaneous small scale generation of heat and electricity by the use of thermal energy at low temperature (90-95ºC).The described system is totally sensorised and has also a SCADA system with Labview software which allows the monitoring and control of the real time process to obtain a complete technical characterisation of the system SILO-CHIMNEY-BOILER-ORC.
- Equipment Link
- Laboratories and facilities
Services
*Laboratory Services:
- Characterisation of Electrical Energy Accumulation Systems
- Characterisation of Organic Waste and Determination of Potential -Advanced Engineering in Anaerobic Digestion and Biomethane Production Processes
- Characterisation of Biomass Fuels for Their Improvement by the Selection of Additives and Biomass Energy Valuation
- Use of Alternative Fuels in Internal Combustion Engines
*Diagnosis and Energy Management:
- Pre-audit and Detail Energy Audits
- Compressed Air Networks Audits
- Implementation of Platforms to Monitor Energy Consumption
- M&V Energy Savings - Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the ISO 50001 Standard
- Fleet Audit
*Simulation:
- Building Energy Simulation
- CFD Simulation
- Life-cycle analysis (LCA)
* Other services:
- Monitoring Researches and Technological Analysis
- Property Engineering
- Training courses for EVO certification level
- Training courses for Energy Auditors
- Course on the Use of Measurement Equipment and Calculation of Energy Savings in Industrial Facilities
- Services Link
- Technology Services