Intelligent electric charging system wins Colmeia award

Energy efficiency and the implementation thereof in the daily lives of people living and working in Matosinhos was the grand prizewinner of Colmeia, the collaborative innovation programme geared to the community developed by Galp and the Matosinhos City Council. The challenge launched gave rise to the presentation of projects in the areas of energy transition, the appreciation of heritage and the reduction of energy poverty.

The competition was split into two initiatives: IN.COMMUNITY, aimed at projects presented by the local community, and IN.STARTUP, aimed at Portuguese and foreign startups. 78 innovative environment-related proposals were submitted, which also proved to be innovative from an economic point of view. According to Manuel Andrade, Head of Open Innovation, everything was aimed at “enhancing life in the community” and “the results were incredible”.

Of the five finalists in the IN.STARTUP category, the first prize, worth 50,000 euros, went to the Eavy Charging project. The idea was developed by Paulo Cruz, in Germany, the country in which he has lived for 10 years and which he shares with Portugal, where the company's other partner and co-developer resides. This project consisted of solutions designed to enable the rapid and simultaneous charging of several electric vehicles parked in the same area with just one charger. “We will implement an electric charging system for ten cars in a public car park in the centre of Matosinhos, at very economical rates, by the end of 2024”, said the head of the startup. The project is particularly important for “residents with no garage who have to charge their cars on the street”.

Second place, and a prize of 15,000 euros, went to Windcredible, a project focused on the development and production of vertical axis wind turbines. Two turbines, two and a half metres high and weighing 50 kilos each, will be placed in districts in the city using the wind to produce energy. “Galp enables us to execute a pioneering project that can change the way in which we produce energy locally and at much lower costs”, said Filipe Batispta, one of the people in charge at the small company.

Third place, with a prize of 10,000 euros, was awarded to Kumulus, a French startup that presented a system designed to produce drinking water from moisture in the air. Pierre-Alexis Daufresne, the author of the project, quoted sporting events as an example of the “infinite possibilities” for reusing water. “Sports events and cultural facilities are places where water distribution machines can be installed with success”, he emphasised.

Although they didn´t win any prizes, the projects presented by Bandora, an AI (artificial intelligence) platform designed to collect data generated by buildings and to use it to implement real-time solutions, thereby helping to reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, and Voltaware, a platform designed to analyse information and manage electrical energy consumption at home, received significant acclaim. “It is possible, for example, to maintain fixed temperatures in public buildings, guaranteeing a reduction in costs”, explained Márcia Pereira, from Bandora. Living in London, Frenchman François Gruber-Magitot, the person behind the Voltaware project, underlined the importance of the Colmeia programme in training the population. “This competition is extremely important in many ways, as it enables people to learn more about financial literacy,” he said.

An active community in energy transition

The “IN. COMMUNITY” projects included the active participation of residents in the process of innovation and energy transition. Participants were given the opportunity to develop their innovative ideas, receive expert guidance and access resources to help turn their ideas into reality. Three projects reached the final.

The Suntech Workflow project was ranked first and received a prize of 12,500 euros, which was used to develop a solution designed to analyse and suggest upgrades for companies installing solar energy systems. “This competition was the right place for developing ideas and finding solutions to problems”, said Mohsen Motamedi, the creator of the project. Born in Iran and resding in Lisbon, and a student at Instituto Superior Técnico, Mohsen says that Galp made it possible to create “a synergy between the projects and their execution”.

Second place, with a financial reward of 7,500 euros, was awarded to the “Bairro” project, consisting of the installation of photovoltaic panels to supply energy in order to mitigate energy poverty in one of the neediest districts in Matosinhos. “The creation of photovoltaic units will revert production to social entities”, explained Pedro Vieira, a Galp employee and the author of the award-winning project.

Third place and a 5,000 euro prize went to “Energia com Vida”, consisting of a system of piezo-electric trampolines designed to convert the kinetic energy generated by people into electrical energy and distribute it to wherever it is needed. João Lopes, the author of the initiative, revealed that trampolines can be installed in “nightclubs, gyms, street festivals and children's playgrounds” and activated through “jumping, dancing and gymnastic activity”. “Wherever there is movement, there is energy,” he said.

At the closing ceremony, held at Matosinhos City Hall, at which the votes were counted and the awards handed out to the winners, Marta Pontes, the city councillor for Economy, Tourism and Internationalisation, declared that “Colmeia is a process rather than a project”.

Proud of the scale of the work undertaken and the connection between the public and private sectors and the community, Marta Pontes revealed that the competitors were interested in “the history, the roots, the culture, the identity and the problems of our community” throughout the process.