ENERPLAN was designed by Trieste AREA Science Park for the production and efficient use of energy. The idea is to promote the use of renewable and alternative energy, slash energy management costs and, at the same time, drastically reduce harmful emissions in applications for civil, industrial, commercial and agricultural construction.

It also promises to promote the development of new industrial initiatives, which would certain boost the competitiveness of the area. The plan involves the selection and valorisation of ideas and innovative companies in the renewable energy and energy saving sector by constructing demonstration plants that are also technical development and industrial experimentation laboratories.

Here universities and schools, research bodies, companies and public administrations can learn about and compare the technical, environmental and economic results of the proposed innovations.ENERPLAN is divided into eight projects of experimental development, applicable to buildings at the Science Park, which will literally be " dressed" with technology aiming to improve energy management, effectively becoming pilot plants.

The value of ENERPLAN was recognised by the Ministry for the Environment, the Land and the Sea which, based on an agreement with AREA, decided to finance 50% of the costs, expected to amount to Euro 6,805,000. "I consider the agreement with the Ministry of the Environment" the Chairman of AREA Science Park, Giancarlo Michellone says, "to be a first step that will help us install systems in Friuli Venezia Giulia and later in the rest of Italy and internationally, hand in hand with our progress in corroborating the value and functionality of the new technology".

"ENERPLAN is a strategic pilot project of the Ministry of the Environment" says Corrado Clini, general manager of the Ministry for the Environment, the Land and the Sea, "because it enables us to experiment new innovative solutions in key sectors of energy production from renewable sources, eco-sustainable building and energy recovery in manufacturing. The technologies and management systems that will be developed as part of the ENERPLAN will constitute a reference model for the entire national energy system, also taking into consideration the energy safety and emissions reduction strategy to be adopted in Italy".

"The agreement between the Ministry of the Environment and AREA Science Park features concrete objectives and initiatives to generate competitive industrial projects in many strategic sectors for the Italian economy, demonstrating that environmental protection is also an opportunity for development" said State Secretary for the Environment Roberto Menia.

The eight projects of ENERPLAN

High-temperature heat pumps
This project, in collaboration with STP, a new spin-off based at AREA Science Park, involves creating a medium size, high efficiency heat pump that can produce hot water at temperatures of over 75°C, capable of replacing the current boilers without requiring systems to be completely overhauled. This innovation, which is a technological breakthrough, has a patent pending.

"Cappotto attivo" - Active building insulation
This is an innovative system, also pending patent, for the diffusion of heat and cold from the exterior to the interior of a building. In addition to the heat and sound insulation, this "coat" ("cappotto") completely eliminates the need for traditional heating and cooling systems, generating much greater energy and cost savings than the technology available today.

Exhaust air energy recovery
This solution can be applied to buildings used for specific activities, such as R&D laboratories and hospitals, which need much greater exchange of forced air. In situations of this kind, most of the energy used for heating and cooling is needed for air conditioning. There are already high and very high-efficiency recovery units, but their function for energy recovery depends on external thermo-hygrometric conditions. The proposed system, on the other hand, means energy recovery can be maximized, regardless of climate conditions.

LIDEA2- Laboratory and Demonstrative Facilities for Alternative Energy (photovoltaic cells)
The Laboratory and Demonstrative Facilities for Alternative Energy is a cogeneration plant made up of a 1250 kW internal combustion engine powered by methane, coupled by a system of photovoltaic panels with about 19 kWe. Two different photovoltaic systems are integrated to test and verify the efficiency of different construction technologies, coupled with the cogenerator, and a telemanagement system for the remote control and optimization of connections to other systems.

Laboratory/cogeneration plant with gas microturbines
The R&D laboratory focuses on methane-powered cogeneration and trigeneration plants. Cogeneration allows for the production of energy and heat simultaneously, and trigeneration enables also the production of refrigerating energy for air conditioning. The methane-powered microturbine system is comparable to a system that can produce equal energy (100kwh) based on an alternative internal combustion engine, currently in its final development stages. The plant will be the only one of its kind in Italy and in addition to providing heat, cold and energy, will act as a laboratory where the two types of cogeneration will be compared under real conditions. The project has great application potential for the needs of small and medium companies, but other uses may be envisaged. For example, a certain number of cogenerators could work in "relays" as needed to act as an uninterrupted supply for private or public buildings, such as hospitals or schools.

Laboratory/Demonstration LED Street Lighting System
Street lighting systems - especially in external areas - will be tested, thanks to LED units (Light Emitting Diodes) of power (Power LED). In an initial stage, some lights will be installed for testing and demonstration at the Padriciano and Basovizza campuses of AREA Science Park and, in a later stage, two "trial fields" will be created in the surrounding area, equipped with eight lights each.

Ecological safety
An innovative monitoring station will be built for the control and measuring of meteorological and environmental data in the area transmitted continuously and wirelessly. A hardware and software platform is planned to monitor data relating to contaminant, polluting and toxic substances near to calamitous events or crisis situations in real time and from a remote location. The integrated and modular monitoring station for controlling the area and measuring the meteorological and environmental data will always be on line and usable even in difficult conditions, such as a power failure and/or failure in traditional systems. The system will transmit high resolution streaming video, manage half-duplex bidirectional audio and meteorological data from other system sensors, for the effective monitoring of sites distributed throughout the area. It has multiple fields of application: from civil protection to monitoring for purposes benefitting the wellbeing of the general public.

Innovative biomass trigeneration system
The objective is to create an innovative pilot system at a vineyard in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in order to completely and efficiently exploit the energy resources of the company, through the collection of biomass from the land, making it completely self-sufficient in terms of primary energy needs. This way, the widespread diffusion of distributed systems for energy generation by small new plants, more flexible and capable of ensuring greater use of modular structures, fast installation times, low emissions and high performances will be encouraged, resulting in lower primary energy consumption.