What is the product/service about?
The Fresnel direct steam solution offers a decentralized renewable source of process heat below 400 °C to industrial end-users which reduces their energy costs (e.g. around 10% per unit) and carbon emissions significantly (95% per unit of energy). Besides, under a Heat Purchase Agreement – HPA, industrial end-users overcome major financial risks as the thermal plant is owned and managed by ESCOs and the energy prices are guaranteed upon pre-defined contracts.
Developed by:
Industrial Solar GmbH
Where did the project idea come from?
The idea came as an oportunity to overcome market entry barriers, such as the low awareness of the market regarding this solutions and the initial investment costs on energy infrastructure, which is so far supplied by third parties fuel suppliers. The majority of industrial customers still rely on fossil fuels for their heat supply, and this project aims at presenting an attractive sustainable alternative using solar energy.
Why did you select that specific target country?
Chile is home to one of the worlds largest solar potentials and still heavily relies on fossil fuel imports to cover its energy demand. Using most of their energy for process heat, Chilean industries are confronted with high energy costs, dependence from costly fossil fuels, and price volatility, which makes it a very promising market for solar concentrating technologies, such as Fresnel collectors, for industrial process heating.
Who are your partners in the target country?
Our main partner is Ingenieria InPower SpA (InPower), a private and limited engineering company based in Santiago, Chile, which focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. Its portfolio spans from engineering studies, consultancy, and innovative solar thermal and photovoltaic projects. One of its core business activities is to provide energy monitoring and management systems according to ISO 50.001. InPower also has experience in facilitating ESCO contracting for PV projects in Chile.
What is your long term vision for your company working in your chosen partner country?
We expect to create a qualified network of stakeholders that can push our innovative solution to reach a market leadership in terms of industrial heat supply.
What impact do you believe INNOWWIDE will have on your company?
The VAP provides understanding of Chiles particularities to prepare for market entry – local requirements, market potential, suppliers/services, and end-users demands. With more projects, additional partners are required to advance integration potential and boost capabilities. The VAP builds up joint capacities with InPower to reach market effectively.
Can you offer any advice or guidance to others looking to apply for INNOWWIDE grants?
Be clear on your objectives, how you will reach them, and why they are relevant for your project idea. Then describe each part conscisely and clearly in the application form. Besides that, align all points with the main target objectives from Innowwide project. A final check is going through the FAQs and the evaluation criteria to check whether all is met.