Morning
Two presentations sessions will take place in the morning.
Industry panel
# 1 – A brief history of a national small wind turbines test site : SEPEN (fr)
by Bertrand Richer, Eole Conseil
More than 40 wind turbines were tested in the two sites of the SEPEN (Site d’Essai du Petit Eolien National) with many different technologies: horizontal and vertical axis, drag and lift (Savonius vs Darrieus), etc….
Only 58% of the reports have been published, but the absence of publication is also information.
We will try to give some clues to understand why small wind turbine players mostly try to reinvent what has already been tried and which does not work.
# 2 – Small Wind Culture in the energy market and the society (en)
by, Dimitris Christakis, Head of Wind Energy Laboratory, Hellenic Mediteranean Univeristy, Greece
The role of small wind systems in the power systems market is discussed in terms of social and economic criteria. The globalized contemporary economy provides a lot of challenges for the vital goods added value dispersion given the appropriate education and mode of living.
The following questions will be discussed :
- Is it possible to provide competitive small wind systems production technology in the frame of a free market?
- Who is the user of small wind systems?
- How one can configure the right size, price and production method for a potential small wind systems market ?
Academic research
# 1 – Evaluation of maximum power point tracking algorithms on a full scale wind turbine emulator. (en)
by Adrien Prévost, INSA Lyon, Ampère lab
Description : An experimental comparison of several maximum power point tracking algorithms have been performed on a full scale 1kw wind turbine emulator. The methodology and results will be presented.
# 2 – The sustainability of grassroots cosmolocal innovation: the case of small wind turbines (en) (cancelled)
by Katerina Troullaki, Technical University of Crete, P2P lab
Description : Locally manufactured small wind turbines (LMSWT) can be studied through the prisms of grassroots innovation and cosmolocal production: they are bottom-up, community-led solutions, with their design being global and open, while their physical production localised. The sustainability of such an innovative production mode is explored. A sustainability assessment framework is presented, along with some results and ongoing work.
# 3 – Open-Source, Modular and Re-programmable Power Converters as building blocks to rural electrification micro-grids ? (en)
by Luiz Villa, University of Toulouse, LAAS-CNRS lab
Description : Power Electronics converters are the building blocks of modern rural electrification micro-grids. They can be used to either manage power flows in DC-DC or DC-AC and they interface batteries, generators, PVs and loads. This presentation shows how can a micro-grid be built and expanded over time from a single power electronics building block. The converter will be explained, together with its different modes of operation. Finally, the OwnTech project will be presented and its perspectives in both field and academic applications.
# 4 – Locally Manufactured Small Wind Turbines for Rural Energy Access: Research, Design and Testing
by Kostas Latoufis, National Technical University of Athens, RURERG
Description : An overview of research activities on various parts of a locally manufactured small wind turbine, such as the blades and rotor, the axial flux permanent magnet generator, the furling tail system, and the overall integration of the small wind turbine in an off-grid system.
Afternoon
The afternoon will start with a visit of Ampère Laboratory and continue with a presentation session about rural electrification and education. We will finish with a “wind dating” session and a feedback session.
Lab visit
Demonstrations of a wind turbine emulator, visits of the microgrid, motor control, power converters rooms.
Rural electrification and education
# 1 – Paths and Obstacles to Energy Entrepreneurship in Rural côte d’Ivoire
by Karana Olivier, KOC Bridges to Peace
Description : Renewable energy is seen as the poor man’s alternative with solar power widely abandoned for failing to meet local needs. How the introduction of wind power faces an uphill battle in Côte d’Ivoire.
# 2 – Dual Power: Distributed Energy to Meet Local Needs
by Kirk Smith,
Description : “Dual power” is a concept and strategic approach to changing society over time by creating strong, local, community-controlled institutions and infrastructures which increase autonomy with respect to their centralized counterparts. This presentation serves to introduce the concept of “dual power” using the example of localized energy infrastructure such as small-scale distributed wind vs. large-scale centralized on/offshore wind farms.
# 3 – Case study : A rural electrification project in Haïti (to be confirmed)
by Andrew Bowring, Wind Empowerment executive board
Wind dating
A fun activity to make connections between people within the small wind community.
Timetable hours are detailed in the schedule tab.
