Future Energy Center
The Earth’s resources are finite and the world is facing comprehensive challenges. The Future Energy Center (FEC) is an internationally competitive research environment with focuses on renewable energy, resource efficiency and digitalisation – towards a sustainable future, in co-production with industry and society.
The video above shows a short presentation of the different experimental labs at MDU Future Energy.
The research of FEC meets the future challenges in energy and environmental systems by investigating and developing processes and systems for increased resource efficiency and digitalisation in the transition towards a renewable energy system. In co-production with the industry and society our researchers develop efficient, flexible and innovative energy systems that have less negative impact on the environment and that minimise emissions. This is vital research which contributes in a concrete way towards solutions to the global challenges of our time.
7 professors, 20 senior researchers and about 30 PhD students work within Future Energy Center.
Future Energy Center conducts research within the following areas:
- Renewable energy with focus on affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
- Resource efficiency with focus on energy efficiency, low emissions and nutrient and material recovery
- Digitalisation with focus on energy efficiency and environmental perfomance
Third-cycle studies
The framework of the research specialisation of Future Energy Center encompasses the third-cycle subject area of energy and environmental engineering. Furthermore this activity is involved in Resource-Efficient Energy Systems in the Built Environment, Array, Future Proof Cities and INDTECH.
Renewable Energy
In Renewable Energy the researchers work with components, processes and systems for converting biomass, with focus on waste streams, to heat, electricity and vehicle fuel, and utilisation of solar and wind energy.
Digitalisation of Future Energy
In Digitalisation researchers work with advanced modelling methods and measurement techniques for energy efficient processes and systems with environmental benefits.
Resource efficiency
Resource efficiency includes utilizing bioenergy sources and at the same time enabling recovery of other resources, as for example nutrients and sustainable cities built in an ecologic, economic, and social sustainable way.
More information about Future Energy
Fore more information about Future Energy,
please contact Eva Thorin, Head of Research.
Ongoing research projects
A common criticism to large-scale solar farm is the competition between land for energy andland for food that creates deep conflicts among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).One of the sustainable and technological solutions to address the SDGs competition is theadoption of agro-photovoltaic systems, which combine electricity and crop production andincrease land use productivity. By using a water-food-energy-climate nexus approach, thisproject aims to provide an in depth understanding on the interrelationships between solarradiation distribution at crop level, photovoltaic production, microclimate, and crop yieldresponse underneath of the APV systems. In particular, the project will investigate throughexperiments how complex shading conditions created by agro-photovoltaic systems affect thedistribution of the albedo and of the photosynthetically active radiation converted into biomassby crops.
Project manager at MDU: Pietro Campana
Main financing: FORMAS
The overall aim of the project is to develop an energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for IUVF based on the CO2 fertilization effect, which uses the CO2 captured from the air in the greenhouse. Such a solution can augment production and reduce the emission of CO2.
Main financing: KK-stiftelsen
The project GEFWIN aims at demonstrating, testing, and evaluating a novel manufacturing method for wind turbine blades; "Rapid Tow Shearing" which will leads to reduced amount of used material and better design flexibility.
Project manager at MDU: Konstantinos Kyprianidis
Main financing: Vinnova; Eurostars
In a multi-year collaboration, LKAB will invest SEK 80 million in research into sustainable mining. Prominent researchers at, among others, Luleå University of Technology, Örebro University and Mälardalen University will, in close collaboration with LKAB's employees, develop solutions that contribute to the company's transformation - carbon dioxide-free processes and products in 2045. MORMOR is on of nine projects with focus on risk management in the mine to avoid fires or hazardous environment by measurement of air born particles and toxic components to give an early warning to staff in the mine. Sensors will be placed at vehicles as well as stationary. There will be both diesel engines and fully battery-electric. New conditions for electric vehicles/batteries is especially considered.
Project manager at MDU: Erik Dahlquist
The general goal of RELIEF is to foster the potential of Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education & Training (VET) models to provide new training approaches, innovative learning material, and training practices in the field of bio-economy focusing to open up new learning opportunities for the embedding of bio-economy principles and practices in farming.
Project manager at MDU: Hailong Li
Main financing: European Education and Culture Executive Agency, call ERASMUS-EDU-2021-PI-ALL-INNO
SOLVE is a consortium of universities and public/private sector partners performing collaborative, needs-driven research projects aiming at rapid expansion of solar energy in the Swedish electric grid.
Project manager at MDU: Bengt Stridh
Main financing: Swedish Energy Agency