Call for Innovative solutions for small Hydropower

Purpose of the call for projects

To provide an easy-to-install solution for producing electricity using flowing water currents and without impacting aquatic environments:

• small streams/rivers
• maximum power of 100kW
• system with a low impact on aquatic environments that could later allow it to qualify for an environmental standard for compatibility with fish habitats,
• Easily installable = the installation cannot require civil engineering work, must be achievable in a single day, and needs to connect easily with the electricity grid 
• Needs to be suitable for on-site energy use
• For individual private users, farms, etc.
  

Deadline for application : May 30th, 2018

 

Rewards and benefits for selected projects

Selected projects may receive the following:

• Tailored support from the Hydroelectric Company of the Midi (SHEM, an ENGIE subsidiary), ENGIE’s France B2C division and their partners in testing the solution (technically, economically, how it can be integrated with other solutions) and developing partnerships, business and operational projects
• Contacts with ENGIE experts,
• The opportunity to test, experiment with and demonstrate their project at full scale,
• Inclusion in  ENGIE’s catalogue of solutions for its private and small business customers,
• Being featured in ENGIE's national and international events and communications.

Detailed description

One of the goals of ENGIE France B2C and SHEM is to test and develop small/micro hydro solutions for individual users. This development involves innovative solutions.

In addition to the points made in previous paragraphs, the solution may include:

• An app for monitoring operations and energy production (mobile app and/or website) and/or an API
• An interface to a real-time remote monitoring system (SCADA): sending warnings about malfunctions, breakages, performance monitoring...

The benefits that we expect the solution to produce include:

• Making it easier to obtain authorization
• Making the solution more reliable
• Little or no maintenance
• Linearity of production
• Quick implementation

The solutions must be mature enough to be immediately tested on site and to go into industrial production in under 1 year (TRL 7+).

 

Eligibility criteria

• Suitability to the subject
• Originality/innovative nature of the project
• Environmental footprint (whether materials pollute or can be recycled, etc.)
• Costs/feasibility and economic viability
• Maturity/length of time before it can be produced industrially 
• Cost of electricity produced/return on investment
• Ease of installation, maintenance and use

 

Selection procedure

The selection will be in 2 stages:

• Phase 1. An shortlist will be created based on the initial applications.
• Phase 2. Each shortlisted project leader will be invited to present it in 60 minutes for the members of the selection committee (see schedule below).

The selection committee will choose the winning project at the end of these presentations.

Provisionnal Timetable

• March 19th, 2018: Launch of the call for projects.
• May 30th, 2018: application deadline.
• June 10th, 2018: evaluation and shortlisting of submitted projects.
• June 15th-30th 2018: shortlisted projects pitch for the Selection Committee
• June 30th 2018: final decision and announcement of the winner(s).

Selection committee and partners of the call for projects

ENGIE Group: ENGIE France Renewables - SHEM - ENGIE France B2C - ENGIE Labs

ENGIE puts responsible growth at the center of its business activities (electricity, natural gas, energy services) in order to face the major challenges of the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. The Group supports these changes by placing innovation at the heart of its customer strategy. www.engie.com

The SHEM (Société Hydro-Electrique du Midi) is the 3rd -largest hydroelectricity producer in France and a major energy player in the Greater Southwest region. It employs 320 people at its head office (Balma - 31), three regional departments (Pau - 64, Brive la Gaillarde - 19, La Cassagne - 66) and nine factory clusters. Its 58 factories and 12 large dams, spread over the Pyrenees, the Lot and Dordogne rivers, produce clean energy without emitting any CO2   and which has been certified 100% renewable by the independent certification body TÜV-SÜD. its facilities, with a total capacity of 783 MW, generate an average of 1,836 GWh per year. SHEM is closely tied to the local areas in which it does its work and contributes to developing them economically as well as socially and environmentally.

ENGIE’s France BtoC business unit sells energy and associated services to private and professional customers. We offer a wide range of energy products: market offerings, innovative pricing such as "Elec'Car" (with -50% during off-peak hours, especially at night) or  "Elec Weekend" with -30% off on the weekend. All of our electricity has been green since October 2016 (except for "Happ-e", our 100% digital offering). In 2017, we took the energy transition one step further by creating "My Elec" (letting our customers choose where their renewable energy is produced), or "My Green Gas", which guarantees that the equivalent of 10% of the natural gas used by our customers will be of renewable origin.

We also offer many services through our entities ENGIE Home Services and My Convenience Stores, which aim to provide clients with peace of mind and help them control their energy consumption. These include maintenance, troubleshooting & helplines (for water, gas, and electricity), energy retrofits, personal electricity production and use (My Power)… as well billing insurance and appliance warranties.