AlpStore

Sun, water and biomass are a natural capital of the Alpine Space. It is a must to use them for the production of energy. Besides intelligent grids, storage systems will be key enablers for a future mostly renewable energy supply. Electric vehicles (EV) will be integral elements of the future energy system. Their batteries can be charged with excessive power from intermittent energy sources and electricity can be fed into the grid to meet peak loads. Beyond short term balancing with EVs, stationary batteries can serve long term balancing needs. They can give EV batteries a "second life” and improve overall economy of electric mobility. Other media such as gas or compressed air will add more choices. Partners in seven countries create master plans for the deployment of storages. Pilot tests will show the feasibility of mobile and stationary storage in public infrastructure, business parks, enterprises and smart homes. From there guidelines for planners and decision makers will be derived.

In the AlpStore framework, EUROIMPRESA will develop a pilot application: TEAM Pilot Application (Technocity Energy Area Manager) based on the monitoring and control of the electric energy needs of the Technocity, by coordinating, with respect to different goals, power flows from photovoltaic production (120 kW on the roof) and consumption (the area is connected to the main grid by two medium voltage/low voltage transformers that feed the lighting and thermal apparatus of the Technocity.

Starting from this already in place scenario, new e-car charging points and stationary storage apparatus will be deployed in order to provide ancillary services to the main grid.

Euroimpresa AlpStore Pilot Implementation is devoted to improve the overall efficiency in the electric energy usage, taking also into account the electric grid requirements. The pilot implementation is based on several apparatus, grouped into two main categories: the first category is a Renewable and Electrical Storage System (ESS) stationary monitoring and controlling equipment such as meters, demand side management apparatus, and Storage Systems, while the second is an E-mobility apparatus.

Though all these “innovative” functions are quite “common” in the technical literature, the real innovative content of the AlpStore projects stands in the Planning procedure proposed to group them in a whole coordinated action, i.e. in the Master Plan methodology proposed in order to develop an energetic infrastructure that correctly fits with the energy needs.

The Pilot action is developed in the Alto Milanese extends, in particular into the territory of the Province of Milan. It results to be one of the most important and strategic area (both from the geographical and infrastructural point of views) in the north of Italy: actually, in the Alto Milanese area many SMEs are located; the activities and productionsin the areaarefamous all over the world for theirquality and excellences.

The area represents an historical background of the Italian economic development, where the first step of the industrialization hastaken place since the nineteenth century. Although the productive system is facing delocalization process due to the economic slump, the Alto Milanese is still characterized by a high concentration of manufacturing companies, especially in the textile and mechanic sectors.