EN 
PT_BR 
A Vila Restauração Microgrid, project of (re)energizes to provide clean energy to residents of the Alto Juruá Extractive Reserve, in Acre, received the The smarter E AWARD 2023 in the “Outstanding Projects” category.
Through this initiative, families who received only three hours of electricity from diesel generators per day now have renewable energy for 24 hours at lower 60% costs.
A microgrid consists of a 325 kW photovoltaic plant it is a 829 kWh lithium-ion battery system. In addition, it has 4G internet, wireless smart meters, biogas plants and two backup generators powered by biodiesel produced in the region.
According to the company, the system provides clean energy to approximately 1,000 community members and will be implemented throughout the Amazon in the future.
“This award gives us an indication that Grupo Energisa is on the right path and also shows that Brazilian companies have the full capacity to develop innovative and world-famous projects using renewable sources, a sector in which Brazil is strong and could be increasingly more protagonist”, highlighted Frederico Botelho, Business Development coordinator at (re)energisa.
FlexNet-EkO
The FlexNet EkO research project from the German Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen was also one of those awarded by The smarter. The initiative paves the way for smarter and more environmentally friendly distribution networks.
In collaboration with MITNETZ STROM and research experts from the region, Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen demonstrated how operators can integrate a greater share of renewable energy, stabilize voltage and frequency, and improve overall grid operation.
The system combines grid-connected batteries through power electronics and inverters to decouple and optimize low-voltage grids. This method is cheaper and faster than expanding networks and transmission systems. It also enables faster integration of solar and wind energy and electric vehicles.
Wallbox Charger
The SIRIUS energy management system from Spain's Wallbox Charger was the third awarded project. At its headquarters in Barcelona, the company installed the system as a more ecological and economical alternative to updating its network infrastructure. Using data analytics, artificial intelligence and internet of things technology, SIRIUS integrates the electrical grid with distributed energy resources.
According to the company, such a solution combines a fleet of 23 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles with bi-directional charging, a 400 kW photovoltaic plant and 560 kWh of on-site battery storage.
In 2022, Wallbox managed to reduce CO2 emissions by 73 metric tons and its energy bills by more than 40%. Furthermore, SIRIUS has enabled cost savings of half a million euros compared to grid expansion through the flexible and intelligent design of decentralized energy sources.
About the award
The smarter E AWARD is awarded to companies with innovative projects that make a decisive contribution to achieving a sustainable energy supply. The winners and finalists will present their innovations at The smarter E Europe 2023, being held in Munich, Germany.
Other awards
Intersolar also held the Intersolar AWARD, which “is awarded to companies that contribute substantially to the success of the sector”, according to the award organization.
“Innovations in the area of photovoltaic energy are driving the modernization of energy infrastructure around the world. The coveted Intersolar AWARD aims to honor these innovations with the Photovoltaic award category,” the organization stated.
In this edition, the manufacturer Huawei won, with the SUN2000-330KTL inverter; Aiko Digital Energy Technology, with its ABC modules; and Solar Metrology systems company WAVELABS, with the SINUS-360 ADVANCED solution.
The manufacturer DAH Solar was a finalist for the award with its full screen module. “With great honor and joy, we were among the ten finalists, among more than 200 companies that applied for the award, with our module full screen. This is a source of great pride and shows that the company invests in technology, research and innovation for practical application by our customers”, stated Felipe Santos, Latam sales director at DAH Solar.
