Energy-Hub for residential and commercial districts

Generating on site renewable energy within districts

The Energy Hub is a collaborative €11.66 million European project which aims to demonstrate the full potential of renewable energy by providing 100% on-site renewable energy within an "Energy Hub District".

An Energy Hub is a physical cross point, similar to an energy station, in which energy and information streams are coordinated, and where different forms of energy (heat, electricity, chemical, biological) are converted between each other to meet current demands, or are stored for later use.

The Energy Hub exchanges energy via the energy grids between its members (households, renewable energy plants, offices), who may be both consumers and suppliers. The members exchange information on their energy production and energy needs with the Energy Hub. The Hub then distributes the available energy in the most efficient way.

To match supply and demand, the Energy Hub converts and stores energy and performs load shifting. The members will be connected to the Energy Hub by means of bi-directional energy grids (low and high temperature heat grids, electrical grids (AC and DC) and gas grids (hydrogen, biogas, syngas).

Renewable energy may be generated by individual members (e.g. from PV or solar thermal collectors on roofs) or by central means (a ground source energy or a large combined heat and power plant) located within the district that may be fuelled by solar energy, biofuel or hydrogen.

Central to the E-Hub project is the Multi Commodity Powermatcher: this smart controller allocates energy dynamically to its most demanding members from the most efficient sources of supply.

District Heating, Cooling and Power

The Energy Hub idea covers all types of energy flow, from heating and cooling to electricity, biogas and hydrogen, and may be connected not only to households but also to (electric) cars, commercial buildings and industry.

The aim of the project is to develop the Energy Hub as a system, to develop technologies that are needed to achieve the system successfully, to develop business models in order to overcome institutional and financial barriers, and to demonstrate a live Energy Hub with further feasibility studies to extend the principle.

The Energy Hub Project aims to harness renewable energy, to engineer low carbon communities and to connect know-how for a sustainable world.

Partners in the Energy Hub Project:

TNO, The Netherlands

ECN, The Netherlands

D'Appolonia, Italy

Finlombarda, Italy

Acciona, Spain

Solintel, Spain

ICAX, UK

HSW, Germany

Mostostal, Poland

VITO, Belgium

Fraunhofer, Germany

TPG, Italy

Ertzberg, Belgium

VTT, Finland

ISPE, Belgium

EDF, France