energyRIS

RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS

About energyRIS

Energy Research & Intelligence Solutions S.L.U. (energyRIS) is a global energy company that transforms data, knowledge and intelligence into insights to inform solutions to the most complex energy challenges.

energyRIS draws upon more than 20 years of expertise and relationships developed within the University of La Laguna
energyRIS has deep, enduring relationships with industry, government and academic personnel throughout Europe
energyRIS maintains strategic relationships with global leaders in renewable energy technology, analytics and forecasting

energyRIS

Connecting the Globe – Transforming Our Energy Future

energyRIS personnel is active in EU Horizon 2020
energyRIS provides leadership for Spanish National Research and Development Plan and the Retos Program
energyRIS contracts with internationally recognized companies: E.ON SE, ENDESA, Enagás, Abengoa, ERA, El Corte Inglés, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority, Gorona del Viento SA, CPS Energy, Duke Energy and BP, and public administrations such as the Government of the Canary Islands and the US Department of Energy
energyRIS personnel maintain agreements and memoradum of understanding with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Colorado, US), Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Germany), Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Singapore), University of Texas at San Antonio, University of California San Diego, University of Hawaii and International Energy Agency

energyRIS Research Expertise

Citizens’ Energy Communities.

energyRIS supports Citizen’s Energy Communities (CECs) from conception to delivery of low carbon, low cost shared electricity that meets communities’ needs

CECs are regulated through the Directive (EU) 2019/944, on common rules for the internal market for electricity. This directive offers electricity consumers the opportunity to group together to become some kind of entity that takes advantage of renewable energy generation, mainly photovoltaic, in the area where they reside or their business is located. Thus, they will be able to save on their electricity bill and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The transposition of this structure to the regulation of most EU countries is still pending, but the first pilot experiences are being developed in different parts of the Spanish geography. Thanks, mainly to the fact that Spain has developed the most innovative regulation on a European scale in relation to shared self-consumption (Royal Decree 244/2019 on self-consumption) and to our plentiful photovoltaic potential, energyRIS is currently testing it first CEC in Adeje (Tenerife).

Renewable Energy Communities.

energyRIS, working with other partners, is initiating the first pilot experience for Renewable Energy Communities in the Canary Islands at a municipal scale while exploring various models for expansion in other territories.

Renewable energy communities (CERs) are new legal entities that participate in activities aimed at supplying electricity. This can be done through renewable energy projects owned by you and located in the vicinity of the owners’ residence or where their business is located. This entity emerges from the Directive (EU) 2018/2001, on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, and has recently been transposed into Spanish regulation.

Energy-Water Nexus.

energyRIS has the necessary technical and market knowledge to strengthen the energy-water nexus by improving the quality and capacity of the hydraulic infrastructure at the municipal level at reduced costs. Members of energyRIS have been participating in the development of the first pilot project in the Canary Islands that tries to make this type of project a profitable reality, with the help of a company specialized in the water sector in Tenerife.

The technological development of power electronics has led to the combined use of the potential energy of water and the demand of water pumping in next generation water infrastructure. Indeed, part of the hydraulic infrastructure can become active elements in the production of renewable energy and provide adjusting services to the grid.

Integration of Energy in Insular Power Grids.

energyRIS works with power generation companies to improve the governance of their thermal power plants located in insular territories. Indeed, it applies new technologies and artificial intelligence models, which allows to define the best strategies for increasing profitability, reducing emissions and increasing the penetration of renewable energies.

Insular power grids are the most attractive for the introduction of wind and photovoltaic renewable energy due to the high costs of conventional electricity generation in these locations. However, after a certain percentage of penetration, wind and photovoltaics become the most complex systems to manage. This is due to the variability of wind and sun radiation, and the need to maintain adequate inertia reserves to provide stability to the grid. It is becoming mandatory to solve these technical problems for decarbonizing any insular power grid.

Production of Renewable and / or Sustainable Fuel.

energyRIS works on several innovation and demonstration projects based on contracts with companies in the sector that seek to advance the use of renwable and sustainable fuels, both for the commercial aviation sector and for international maritime transport. We apply artificial intelligence to model the systems and integrate them in the power grid.

In the decarbonization process that is taking place on a global scale, the CO₂ emitting sectors that still present great challenges are maritime and air traffic, mainly for international connections. It is evident that these sectors cannot be electrified, but must be supplied with a renewable fuel with the maximum energy density per unit of mass and volume. The best candidates to fill this space are hydrogen, renewable methane, ammonia, and different biofuels.

European, Spanish and Canary Energy Regulation.

energyRIS provides consulting services in energy regulation, not only for companies but also for public administrations.

For a project to be successful in the energy area it is necessary to have a clear and precise knowledge of the energy regulation in which it will operate, as well as the modifications and reforms that are programmed and/or expected for the future. Security in any type of private investment that may arise in the energy sector requires an attractive, transparent and predictable regulatory framework.

The energy sector, since the approval of the EU Winter Package, derived from the 2015 Paris Agreement, has been introduced in a broad process of radical change in relation to current regulations, which leads us to complete decarbonization in 2050. This transformation in our regulatory regime can also serve as example for other territories outside the EU that, with some delay or in the near future, are considering moving in the same direction.

Tax Incentives in the Energy Sector.

energyRIS has extensive experience in justifying R & D activities in the energy sector with the aim of obtaining the appropriate tax deductions. Specifically, we analyse the projects and guide them to obtain this type of qualifications recognized by the Ministry of Finance. We are also aware of the best tax strategies to be able to invest in the energy area in the Canary Islands.

Developed countries, in general, give tax incentives to companies to carry out activities in the energy sector. The purpose of these incentives is to generate a new economy, and also to protect national companies so as not to lose our most qualified workers. These objectives can be done through the tools available within the Spanish tax regulation. In the case of the Canary Islands, to the above are added the specific fiscal tools derived from its Economic and

Fiscal Regime. Unfortunately, many companies do not get to use these tools due to ignorance or fear, or they approach misguidedly when using them.

Development of Short-term Photovoltaic and Wind Prediction Devices and Networks.

energyRIS develops, tests and evaluates hardware and software technology for deployment electrical grids in different parts of Europe in partnership with major electrical companies since 2015. We apply artificial intelligence for the development and training of different algorithms. The technology is not only directly applicable within the energy sector; it can also find applications in other market niches that require predictive services.

Photovoltaic energy is relatively predictable, in the sense that we know perfectly the position of the sun in every second of the year and can easily approximate its production, both for cloudy and clear days. However, there are important production ramps when the days include clouds and clearings. These ramps affect the stability of the power grid on a local scale, so it will be increasingly necessary to predict production estimates at specific grid nodes and in very short time periods. This behaviour is extensible to wind energy, even more severe, since the ramps it generates can be more pronounced and the behaviour of the resource more unpredictable. The development of the enclosures of the all-sky imagers is being developed with a grant of the Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento y Empleo of the Canary Islands Government.

Energy Planning on an Island and Local Scale.

energyRIS develops and implements planning tools at the insular and local scale are important exercises not only projecting the future and guarantying it to potential investors, but also for social consensus if it is developed using the appropriate participatory processes.

At energyRIS we have the experience on coordinating the initial work for the preparation of the Canary Islands Energy Transition Plan (PTECan), where the different public companies that the Canary Islands Government has for this purpose, town halls and councils, professional associations, universities, the business sector and environmental groups have participated. This work has allowed us to carry out an important diagnosis of the starting situation, to check the capacity of the Canary Islands Autonomous Community to face this planning process, and to design the content and strategy that the PTECan should contain. With this experience we understand that we have sufficient capacity to replicate the process for other regional and local administrations.

Design and Development of Large Energy Projects in Island Systems.

energyRIS is currently involved in the development of some very significant and transformative projects in different parts of the European Union, and with the help of leading companies within the sector. In the specific case of the Canary Islands, the projects are in different stages of development and involve both the generation of electricity and renewable fuel.

Energy decarbonisation at the European level requires large projects that guarantee, above all, the security on energy supply. We also understand that these projects must generate the necessary long-term economic activity that allows the different territories to obtain the greatest wealth from the sustainable resources available in the area. In addition, we have the adequate capacity to ensure that projects pass the environmental processing process with agility and success if they meet the appropriate requirements.

Development of the Business Model for Independent Aggregators and Owners of Storage Facilities

energyRIS develops R&D activities from its own resources for the application of artificial intelligence in the development of business models that make profitable the economic activity of these new actors in the electricity market.

Independent aggregators are new figures introduced in the Spanish regulation and that will act as participants in the electricity market providing aggregation services and independent from the customer’s retailer. Aggregation shall be understood as an activity carried out by individuals or legal entities that combine multiple consumptions or electricity generated from consumers, producers or storage facilities for sale or purchase in the electricity market.

In addition, the owners of storage facilities are individuals or legal entities who have facilities in which the final use of electricity is deferred to a time after it was generated, or who carry out the conversion of electrical energy in a form of energy that can be stored for subsequent conversion of that energy into electricity.

Leadership

energyRIS has a multidisciplinary technical-legal team under the strategic direction of Professor Ricardo Guerrero Lemus, Full Professor and Director, Master in Renewable Energies at the University of La Laguna.

Ricardo Guerrero

Curriculum Vitae

Ricardo Guerrero founded energyRIS and serves as sole administrator

Professor Guerrero has extensive and experience in diverse energy and business areas and is currently an active member in the following entities:

Representative of Spain in the Group of Experts (Task14-PVPS) of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Affiliated Research Professor of the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute.
Coordinator of the energy area within the Canary Islands Climate Change Observatory.

In addition, he has served on the boards of directors of the following companies:

CEO of the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias S.A.
Member of the board of directors of the Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables S.A. (ITER).
Member of the board of directors of Gorona del Viento S.A.
Member of the board of directors of Polígono Industrial de Granadilla S.A.
Member of the board of directors of Polígono Industrial de Güímar S.A.
Member of the board of directors of the company Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife S.A. (TITSA).
Member of the board of directors of the company Metropolitano de Tenerife S.A.

Finally, he has held the following positions in other entities:

CEO of the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias S.A.
Member of the board of directors of the Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables S.A. (ITER).
Member of the board of directors of Gorona del Viento S.A.
Member of the board of directors of Polígono Industrial de Granadilla S.A.
Member of the board of directors of Polígono Industrial de Güímar S.A.
Member of the board of directors of the company Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife S.A. (TITSA).
Member of the board of directors of the company Metropolitano de Tenerife S.A.

Finally, he has held the following positions in other entities:

Assistant Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Postdoc at the Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Germany).
Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore.
Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio (3 stays).
Visiting Professional at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Chair Director of the Spanish Foundation for Applied Economics (FEDEA).
Councillor of the Tenerife Island Council (2003 – 2011).

Contact

If your company or entity is interested in receiving more information, you can contact us through our email: info@energyris.com