Strong shoulder-to-shoulder for green energy: 4 country energy suppliers, to work with more than 100 partners in the Green Energy Lab

Investment of around 100 million euros in innovative energy solutions by 2025

Wien, 7. March 2019 (OTS) – The support of the research initiative of the Green Energy Lab met currently, after several months of construction work to the first annual General meeting of the club: Energie Burgenland AG (Michael Gerbavsits, Chairman of the Board), Energie Steiermark AG (Thomas Wiedner, head of innovation management), EVN AG (Stefan Szyszkowitz, Chairman of the Board) and Wien Energie GmbH (Michael Strebl, Chairman of the Board). Speaker and club Chairman Christian armor: „The milestones are set: the first Green Energy Lab projects to sustainable energy solutions are launched, and an ‚Open Call for Innovation‘ invites you to submit further ideas for the future of energy“.

Under the umbrella of the Green Energy Lab, together with the four-country energy suppliers, energy Burgenland, Energie Steiermark, EVN and Wien Energie sustainable energy solutions to develop and test more than 100 partners from research, business and the public sector. A total of 100 million euros is to be invested by 2025 in innovative projects in the framework of the research initiative – part of the Austrian Innovation initiative „model region for energy“ the climate and energy Fund. More than 50% of the up to date pledged funds go to the Region of the energy Alliance Austria – Burgenland, lower Austria and Vienna, the Rest in the province of Styria. The diverse topics range from the reduction in CO2 emissions in the district heating sector on the usability of used E-car batteries as storage modules, to optimized distribution of network resources. Seven projects with a variety of demonstration sites is being worked on:
„Therma-Flex“, „second life Batteries“, „Blockchain Grid“, „Spatial Energy Planning“, „Open Data platform“, „Heat Water Storage Pooling“ and „Hybrid IE DEMO“.

Innovation Minister Norbert Hofer: „Clean energy and mobility technologies in a global perspective the largest growth markets of the 21st century. Century. Only a strong Alliance of business and science makes it possible to follow this path successfully and, therefore, our national climate and energy strategy [#mission2030] (https://mission2030.info/). Therefore, we will invest up to 2021 of around 120 million euros in the Austrian flagship regions.“

Five million people in four provinces form the
Test market of the future

The special feature is the access to the core market, the energy supplier of Vienna, lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria with around five million Consumers of innovations under the umbrella of the Green Energy Lab can be directly tested in large dimensions. The Inititaive is therefore Austria’s largest innovation lab for green energy projects from prototype to market-ready can be developed. Even today, the Green Energy Lab, comprises region to Showcase a very high proportion of renewable energy production (64% and 98% in Austria and obtained solar or wind power; source: analysis of the TU Vienna).

Michael Gerbavsits (Chairman of the Executive Board of Energie Burgenland AG):
„Our industry is changing rapidly. The future needs-oriented, innovation, strong decisions: The Energie Burgenland is therefore investing continuously in the future, issues such as Repowering, Power-to-heat, sector, coupling, and innovative projects like the Green Energy Lab. We are pleased in this strong Alliance with the Green Energy Lab partners with the best ideas and solutions for our industry, our Region to further develop and shape.“

Christian Purrer, and Martin Graf (Vorstandsduo Energie Steiermark AG): „With the increasing digitization, rise to the claim and the complexity of technological total solutions in the field of energy. For us, in the Styria sustainability, regionality and consistent customer orientation are in the foreground.

The partnership of four of the country’s energy entrepreneurs brings together the existing potential and provides valuable synergies. Through targeted networking, practical application can be solutions for innovative and sustainable ideas to be developed. More rapidly than would be possible alone. The Green Energy Lab therefore provides an important contribution to the energy transition.

To date, approximately 50 percent of the Green Energy Lab awarded funding in Styria, in total, there are over 5 million Euro. This is a new, positive confirmation that Styria is the research country number 1. We work together on all projects very closely with partners from research and industry, especially with the Green Tech Cluster Styria. This constant exchange of information and the many partnerships outside the energy industry and the country’s borders.“

Stefan Szyszkowitz (Chairman of the Board, EVN AG): „The active employment of the changes in our industry is crucial for us. More generally, the integration of distributed generation is a fundamental challenge. Intelligent solutions are required from a variety of perspectives of us – with the support of the customers in the optimal use of their solar electricity production, as well as in the operation of the local networks. In the framework of the Green Energy Labs, we want to shape together with strong partners, the future of energy.“

Michael Strebl (CEO, Wien Energie GmbH):
„The growth of the industry on the head. The challenges of the transition of the energy system by climate change requires networked Acting of all the actors. Therefore, we work together in the test region in close cooperation with other energy providers and technology partners to jointly develop innovative total solutions that come to the people, the environment and the Region. Only through large-scale investments in innovative projects, we make sure that we are shaping the energy future in a sustainable direction.“

Call for the best ideas

In the Green Energy Lab technological individual solutions are developed to be a flexible, efficient, and long-term, fully renewable-based System. It takes the best ideas: In an „Open Call for Innovation,“ calls the Green Energy Lab as a result, organizations, and their new, innovative approaches. The topics of the think tank are wide. The focus of digital solutions for customers, sustainable energy services, and projects for smart green low – temperature networks or initiatives for the optimal use of Wind and solar energy. Interested parties are invited to make a submission on the Green Energy Lab Website under the heading „Open Call“. „Our goal is to support innovation-driven Austrian companies on their way to the Decarbonisation and to set the right impulses. With the showcase region for Green Energy Lab, we propose a future-oriented way in the direction of innovative, safe and affordable energy and mobility,“ said Theresa Vogel, Executive Director of the climate and energy Fund.

The Green Energy Lab:

Green Energy Lab is a research initiative for sustainable energy solutions and part of the Austrian Innovation initiative „model region for energy“ the climate and energy Fund. With the test market of Vienna, lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria, with about five million End the Green Energy Lab in Austria the biggest „innovation lab“ for green energy. More than 100 participating partners from research, business and public sector energy Burgenland, Energie Steiermark, EVN and Wien Energie customers-and need to develop together with the four-country energy suppliers-oriented, scalable solutions – from prototype to market-ready. The access to the core market of energy suppliers, new developments can be immediately tested in large dimensions. By 2025, 100 million euros will be invested in innovative projects in the framework of the Green Energy Lab.

For more information: [www.greenenergylab.at] (https://www.greenenergylab.at/)

Mag. Nicola Treitl,
Unique Public Relations GmbH
Schönbrunner Straße 297, Stiege 1, 3.Floor, a-1120 Vienna
T: +43 1 877 55 43 45
E: nicola.treitl@unique-relations.at

DI Susanne Supper
research initiative for Green Energy Lab
QBC 4 – At the Belvedere 4, 1100 Vienna
T: +43 676 471 81 77
E: susanne.supper@greenenergylab.at