Specific challenge: The technologies that will form the backbone of the energy system by 2030 and 2050 are still under development. Promising technologies for energy conversion are being developed at laboratory scale and need to be scaled up in order to demonstrate their potential value in our future energy system. These new technologies should provide more flexibility to the energy system and could help adapting to changing climatic conditions. New knowledge and more efficient and cost-competitive energy technologies, including their supply chains, are required for the long run. It is crucial that these new technologies show evidence of promising developments and do not represent a risk to society. Developments in sectors other than energy may provide ideas, experiences, technology contributions, knowledge, new approaches, innovative materials and skills that are of relevance to the energy sector. Cross-fertilisation could therefore offer mutually beneficial effects.
Secure, clean and efficient energy
Scope: Activities will focus on accelerating the development of transformative energy technologies or enabling technologies that have reached TRL2 (please see part G of the General Annexes). The proposals should bring the proposed technology solutions from TRL 2 to TRL 3-4. A multidisciplinary approach bringing expertise from different scientific disciplines and/or different technological sectors (other than energy or within different areas of energy), in order to cross traditional boundaries is expected to bring forward these game-changer technologies. Innovative solutions and their supply chains such as materials and advanced manufacturing will also be supported as long as the application is clearly energy.
New approaches to existing technologies with potential for significant improvements in the overall performance are also allowed. Activities should also focus on the early identification and clarification of potential problems (for example environmental, resource efficiency and safety issues), or concerns to society, and on the definition of a targeted and quantified development roadmap. Proposals should also indicate the current Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL, see Appendix to this work programme) and the activities needed to keep the MRL aligned with the future advances in the TRL of the technology solution proposed to ensure the potential for exploitation.
Novel technology solutions for grid integration, storage – other than integral to the technology solution developed, fuel cells and hydrogen, energy efficiency and smart cities will not be supported under this topic but in the relevant parts of this work programme.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 2 to 4 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately.
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
Expected impact: The results are expected to move the technology to higher TRL and to provide better scientific understanding and guidance enabling the players concerned (e.g.
policy makers, regulatory authorities, industry, interest groups representing civil society) to frame strategic choices concerning future energy technologies and to integrate them in the future energy system. It is also expected that new, out-of-the-box or advanced innovative ideas will emerge that will provide new impetus to technology pathways, to new solutions, and to new contributions to the energy challenge in Europe or worldwide.
Type of action:Research & Innovation Actions
The conditions related to this topic are provided at the end of this call and in the General Annexes.
Renewable electricity and heating/cooling
Renewables should cover 20% of the final energy consumption in 2020 and a large part of the final energy consumption in Europe by 2050 as identified in the Energy Roadmap 2050. In this context, Europe has been witnessing a significant growth in the contribution of renewable energy sources to the overall energy mix, fostered through the Renewable Energy Directive, the internal market and the infrastructure package. In addition, the requirements of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010/31/EU) for future net zero-energy buildings is expected to be a major driver in opening the market for novel renewable energy applications in the residential sector. However, to sustain this growth and achieve the EU energy and climate change targets, and to ensure EU industrial leadership in low-carbon energy technologies, thereby contributing to growth and jobs in Europe, energy security and affordability, and global GHG emissions reduction, a number of important challenges need to be solved:
a) Technology performance needs to increase further and cost of equipment to decrease resulting in a decrease of the overall cost of renewable energy production in order for renewable energy to be attractive in the market and cover a large part of the final energy consumption by 2050.
b) Resource efficiency and environmental impacts need to be addressed taking a life-cycle perspective.
c) In order to increase the performance of the energy system as a whole, the particular renewable energy conversion device or renewable energy system will have to address a number of enhancements in delivering energy to the increasingly smarter grid.
d) Renewable energy technology supply chains and manufacturing processes able to compete globally need to be developed and consolidated.
Each market will establish its own, optimum mix of renewables solutions based on, inter alia, geography, geology, weather conditions, market acceptance, public support schemes, accessible industrial capabilities, and pricing conditions. The purpose of these topics is to assist in readying technologies, the associated business cases, and industry for these markets and consider all supply-side issues of relevance, including the evolving requirements of the grids.
Each area of renewables has its own challenges, potential, history, level of maturity, risks, and competitive situation that requires specific and considered approaches. SET-Plan priorities together with the derived technology roadmaps and implementation plans from the European Industrial Initiatives, the Strategic Research Agendas developed by the European Technology Platforms, and the foreseen Integrated Roadmap provide further guidance for the development of all of the renewables. The Energy Challenge will strive to provide an appropriate support to all new and existing renewable energy sources over the framework programme period, but not everything in every year.
A broad portfolio of activities covering different renewable energy technology areas will be supported taking into account potential as well as targeted efficiency, performance, and costs.
In addition, elements of industrial competitiveness and security of supply will be considered.
In order to ensure that a balanced portfolio of activities covering different renewable energy technology areas will be supported, it is expected that the share of the EU contribution benefitting one single technology area61 from topics LCE 2 and LCE 11 shall not exceed 25%
of the total budget dedicated to these topics, while the share of the EU contribution benefitting one single technology area62 in topics LCE 3 and LCE 12 shall not exceed 33% of the total budget dedicated to these topics.
The overall approach is to develop a pipeline of research and innovation funding from basic research (addressed in LCE 1), technology development (addressed in LCE 2), technology demonstration and supply-side market readiness (addressed in LCE 3), demand-side market up-take (LCE 4), as well as support for first market replication of renewable energy plants (B.2.11.).
61 An area in this context is considered one of the following: 1) photovoltaics, 2) concentrated solar power, 3) wind energy, 4) ocean energy, 5) hydropower, 6) deep geothermal energy, 7) renewable heating and cooling, 8) biofuels, 9) alternative fuels.
62 An area in this context is considered one of the following: 1) photovoltaics, 2) concentrated solar power, 3) wind energy, 4) ocean energy, 5) renewable heating and cooling, 6) biofuels.
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LCE 2 – 2014/2015: Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity