WARM UP YOUR BUSINESS as an opportunity to find the RES technologies for vulnerable groups

By project POWERTY

Published on 17 February 2021

Poland

Opolskie

About this good practice

Competition for young innovators organized by Science and Technology Park in Opole (STP Opole) and Heat Engineering Company of the Opole Region (ECO Opolskie). Both of them are stakeholders in the POWERTY project.
In 2019, during the 2nd edition, they included the field of renewable energies (RES) and goals were:
- Development of eco-friendly energy technologies,
- Building of a startup ecosystem that enables the creation of an innovative environment for new types of start-ups, spin-offs, etc.
The initiative is addressed to a wide audience, including students, doctoral students, startups, inventors, but also high school students as well as foreign students.

Ideas can be submitted in three areas in the field of energy:
solutions for changing or developing technologies, pro-ecological and pro-environmental solutions as well as organizational and marketing solutions.
The authors of the ten best ideas will take part in free training in public speaking, building business models, design thinking, commercializing research and patents, as well as in individual meetings with mentors.
One of the winner during the 2nd edition was "Backyard wind panel” - simple and cheap technology for small wind turbines operating at low wind speeds (noiseless, height of 150cm, diameter of 10cm, possible combination for larger modules, 300 W (250 x 153 cm) panel cost around 210€.

Resources needed

Prize money of €2,500
The main sponsor is ECO - Energetyka Cieplna Opolszczyzny (thermal energy of the Opole region).
The core business of the Group's companies is the production, transmission, distribution and sale of heat and electricity.

Evidence of success

A project won in the 2nd edition of the competition - a wind panel is an innovative product on the market because, unlike other devices that draw energy from the wind, it does not make any sounds, and from the outside it looks like a house fence. The cost of producing a wind panel compared to a photovoltaic panel is almost the same, and therefore it will be an ideal method of using renewable energy for people who are energy poor and have low sun exposure.

Potential for learning or transfer

This practice allows the selection of the best innovative technical solutions enabling the use of renewable energy sources to reduce energy poverty. An example of the awarded invention that has great potential in the field of combating energy poverty is a backyard wind panel (winner of the 2nd edition of the competition). This panel allows the use of low wind speeds for energy production. The awarded installation has a large surface area, but takes up a small space and could be used in any other EU country. Will be easy to transfer to other countries because: only the idea is awarded. The originator does not have to worry about securing funds for creating and implementing his solution because all he has to do is prove that it is a good idea.