Encon Energy Prize rewards a fresh perspective on existing technology
For the tenth year running, Encon has recognised a promising thesis on making energy more sustainable. In a ceremony adapted to the challenging circumstances of the moment, on 10 February none other than Federal Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten presented the Encon Energy Prize virtually to KU Leuven student Wouter Peere. In his thesis, he developed a method for the economic optimisation of hybrid geothermal heating and cooling systems, making this form of sustainable energy considerably more accessible.
A fresh look at 50-year-old technology
Geothermal energy is a technology that extracts natural heat and cold from the ground to heat and cool homes and businesses. Water is pumped up from the ground, the heat or cold is extracted and stored, whilst the water flows back into the same layer of the earth where it can reheat or cool down.
In other words, it is a non-polluting, renewable and therefore highly sustainable method of heating and cooling, and thus offers enormous potential for further reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. “After all, a third of all primary energy in Belgium comes from the heating and cooling of homes,” says Wouter Peere, winner of the Encon Energy Prize.
Minister Van der Straeten agrees with the student: “After transport, heating homes is the biggest cause of CO² emissions in our country. If we want to achieve the 2030 and 2050 climate targets, we must commit fully to renewable energy.”
The challenge with geothermal energy, however, lies in the economic and technical feasibility of its application. “Systems of this kind often require a greater investment than conventional technologies,” confirms Robin Bruninx, managing director of Encon and chair of the jury. “That is why it is so interesting that Wouter’s thesis offers an innovative new perspective on existing technology.” Minister Van der Straeten agrees: “The direction we want to take is clear, but we do not yet know every intermediate step we will take between now and 2050. The work Wouter is doing here opens up new perspectives.”
After Wouter Peere had first developed a new and more accurate sizing method for solar farms, he investigated how various parameters, such as peak power and monthly load, influence the size and design of the solar farm and the associated installation. Based on these insights and simulations, he developed an algorithm that calculates an optimal combination of technologies that can be used alongside and in conjunction with the borefield. The result is an optimisation of both the investment costs and operating costs of the entire heating or cooling installation.
The jury also appreciated that the flexible algorithm offers considerable potential for the future. Wouter Peere’s research identified other parameters that could be implemented to further expand the structure of the described algorithm. For this reason, Wouter will continue his research in the coming years in the form of a PhD.
New prospects for sustainable innovation
“Thanks to Wouter’s work, it is now possible to design hybrid geothermal systems that are both more sustainable and more cost-effective,” says Robin Bruninx. “The fact that an innovation can thus lead to both climate benefits and economic progress is what really gets our hearts racing here at Encon.”
Energy Minister Van der Straeten is also enthusiastic: “The great added value of this work lies in demonstrating that hybrid solutions also contribute to the profitability and the economic model behind new technologies. There are, in fact, many interesting and innovative ideas, but in order to translate them into policy, they must also be feasible – from both a technical and a financial-economic perspective. This thesis therefore makes a highly relevant contribution in this regard.”
“It is also very important for a student to use their final project to have a direct impact on real-world practice, and in that way make a real difference,” adds Professor Lieve Helsen of K.U.Leuven, who is also the thesis supervisor. “We have the technology for the energy transition, but the major challenge we face today is to integrate all the systems optimally.
The latest Encon Energy Prize
For ten years now, Encon has been supporting students who contribute to making the world more sustainable through its Energy Prize. “As Wouter’s thesis demonstrates, it is incredibly valuable for a younger generation to take a fresh look at the achievements of their predecessors,” says Robin Bruninx. “Only by keeping our minds open to new perspectives can we make progress increasingly sustainable.”
As Encon was originally an engineering firm, for a long time the company focused primarily on energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energy for industrial companies. “But sustainability is a much broader concept and offers companies far more opportunities than just energy savings,” explains Robin Bruninx.
This is reflected in the much more comprehensive approach with which Encon is already guiding companies towards more sustainable business practices. After all, the implementation of an overarching sustainability strategy has a positive impact on all a company’s stakeholders, not just the shareholders. This steady evolution within the organisation has therefore also led to a new interpretation of the award through which Encon aims to support sustainable research.
The Encon Energy Prize will therefore be renamed the Encon Sustainability Prize from the next edition onwards. The focus on Energy will be replaced by a much broader invitation to Master’s students to further highlight their theses that investigate the potential impact of sustainability on people, the environment and society.