“We are saving the world. And we are creating the future of energy,” said Stanislav Mišák, Director of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies Explorer (CEETe), during the first birthday celebration.
This modern and youngest centre on the territory of VŠB – TUO is a bit of a “space” laboratory, which tests new environmental systems and resources and tries to find ways to apply them on the market for factories and companies as well as for ordinary customers and users.
Numerous foreign and Czech visitors to the centre can see how CEET employees are exploring new ways of photovoltaics or using wind energy, producing hydrogen or testing different ways of incinerating hazardous and ordinary waste and converting it into useful forms of substances.
At the centre, they are testing charging stations for electric or hydrogen-powered cars, and on the roof above the green, lush facade, they are exploring, for example, the growth of different plants in artificial environments, or testing a “farmbot” that is able to take care of the plant beds on the CEET’s green roof, but also, by extension, an entire field somewhere in the village.
Will CEETe one day control the consumption of the whole Poruba?
Today, the architecturally remarkable CEETe building is literally riddled with sensors, sophisticated systems and energy storage devices. The centre’s staff are able to minimise energy leakage in the CEETe’s headquarters, mix the different types of energy sources obtained sparingly during consumption, and send the saved energy to other locations on the university campus. This is thanks to the Microgrid system, which was acquired through a partnership with Schneider Electric, a large company that is an expert in industrial technology and smart solutions with artificial intelligence and IoT. And with a community of 150,000 employees.
“The goal is to connect the entire university campus and the entire VŠB – TUO to this sophisticated energy management system in the near future. That is to say, the entire city district. And in the future we will try to go further, because we have the Ostrava-Poruba University Hospital or the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre nearby. And close by are also the city districts of Poruba and Pustkovec, with whom we have signed a kind of memorandum on the possible establishment of an energy community, which would be managed by CEETe,” say the CEETe experts.
The CEET Energy and Environmental Technologies Centre and its research programmes have been attracting experts in the Czech Republic and abroad since last year. The interest in working at CEET is also evidenced by the record number of employees, currently numbering 268 Czech and top international scientists.
The vehicle fills with hydrogen in just 5 to 10 minutes
The CEET Institute of Higher Education has a big theme at the moment – the use of hydrogen technology, including hydrogen production, distribution and use for filling alternative fuel vehicles. CEET scientists are also investigating the conversion of hydrogen into electricity. “Recently, a new standard for fast filling of vehicles with hydrogen has come into force. Until now, hydrogen vehicles have been filled at a standard rate of between 30 and 60 minutes. However, the CEET team is working to develop new technologies that should speed up this process to five to ten minutes,” the centre’s leaders point out.
Last year, the CEET Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies also launched the largest project ever awarded to VŠB – TUO in its history. It is the REFRESH (Research Excellence for Region Sustainability and Hi-Tech Industries) project, which is a “flagship” project for the university.
Refresh is intended to help transform the region into a smart and green region
The project aims to transform the Moravian-Silesian region into a sustainable smart and green region, without dependence on fossil fuels. The project aims to develop or bring modern technologies for sustainable energy, digitalisation of industrial production, automation in transport to the region. The REFRESH project is to build on environmental technologies and new material technologies.
However, the results that CEET can generate would not be possible without strong partners. The biggest one today is Schneider Electric, a world leader in energy management.
This company has installed an advanced energy management system, Microgrid, at CEET’s unique research centre, CEET VŠB-TUO in Ostrava. This technology oversees the entire energy operation of the building and efficiently manages the production, distribution, storage and consumption of electricity from various sources, including renewable ones. It is capable of powering individual buildings as well as entire city districts or industrial areas independently of the main grid, represents the future of community electricity supply and can contribute to the development of sustainable energy in the Czech Republic.
Microgrid can integrate and manage different renewable energy sources into the grid
“Microgrid represents the future of energy solutions wherever it is necessary to ensure a stable and independent energy grid, not only in an individual building, but also, for example, in an industrial area or urban district. The system includes control software and hardware, battery storage for electricity accumulation, charging stations for electric vehicles and high and low voltage elements. We plan to implement a Microgrid project of a similar scale in 2025 at our own factory in Písek,” says Pavel Bezucký, CEO of Schneider Electric. “Our Microgrid system can efficiently integrate the various renewable sources in the energy mix into the grid and manage their consumption,” he adds.
Microgrid is a smart community energy solution, also referred to as a “microgrid”. It is a decentralised system capable of creating a stand-alone electricity grid independent of the main grid. It interconnects different energy sources and intelligently manages them according to actual demand, saving operating costs. It is ideal for remote locations, industrial areas and can contribute to the creation of smart cities.
CEETe has 12 wind turbines and 473 solar panels on its facade
And what’s behind the CEETe brand? Cutting-edge laboratories and innovative technologies under one roof The Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies – Explorer (CEETe) was created by scientists from the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET) on the premises of the University of Mining and Metallurgy – Technical University Ostrava. Since its opening in October 2023, it has focused on research and development of low-carbon technologies to replace fossil fuels and contribute to sustainable energy, both nationally and internationally.
The CEETe centre is full of specialised laboratories, including a hydrogen technology laboratory, thermodynamic processes and hydroponics. The building itself uses a number of innovative technologies and is energy self-sufficient: there are 12 wind turbines on the roof, 473 solar panels cover the façade, and the facility uses an advanced rainwater management system.
This combination of technologies allows CEETe to operate with minimal dependence on external energy sources. The centre aims to develop collaboration across sectors – from the public sector to application companies to universities and research organisations – to foster innovation in sustainable energy.
Source: patriotmagazin.cz
https://www.patriotmagazin.cz/ceete-slavi-rok-udivuje-zkoumanim-energii-budoucnosti
Photo: Petr Broulík
