The Research Group on Energy and Sustainable Development - RGESD, founded by Prof. Maria da Graça Carvalho, is part of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering – IDMEC, and has developed its activities since 1985 in the development of tools to simulate and to optimize the design, operation and control of full-scale energy equipment. Later the group has redirected part of its research efforts to the development of tools and practices for energy management, RUE, RES technologies and its potential in remote areas.

The Group is currently engaged in several research areas, namely: Clean Technologies and Energy Efficiency, Clean Urban Transport, Energy in Urban Environment; Clean Combustion, Waste and Biomass Combustion, Renewable Energies, Biomass, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells; CO2 and Climate Change; Integrated Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Kyoto Protocol; Energy Policies and Energy Planning; Capacity Building in Energy and Environment in 3rd Countries, Promotion of Energy Technologies. Within the alternative energies, the Research Group is involved in several European projects related to Fuel Cell Technologies, namely application of fuel cells on stationary and non-stationary systems (e.g. the 5thFP Project CUTE and the Virtual Fuel Cell Power Plant), and Hydrogen (e.g. the 5thFP Project HySociety).

The Group is actually also involved in studies concerning the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, and supporting national bodies, municipalities and local environment and energy agencies in elaborating and implementing nation and local environmental and energy policies. Also, the Group has been active in 2003 in the application of the concepts of sustainability to specific communities aiming at defining and developing sustainable communities in Portugal.

The experimental facilities of the Research Group include a Combustion Laboratory, installed in 1992, and at present dedicated to combustion studies ranging from bench-scale up to semi-industrial combustion systems, involving the pollutant analysis of such as natural gas, biomass and hydrogen. Plans are that a Laboratory for New and Renewable Energies will be installed; it will include, among other equipment, a Fuel Cell Gas Supply System; a Fuel Cell Power System; a Fuel Cell Control and Monitoring System; a Reformer; a Reformate Gas Treatment; a Reformer Gas Control and Monitoring System and an Absorption Refrigeration System.

The group has over 50 Researchers, Technicians and Administrative Staff, namely 8 Professors, 6 Post-Doc Researchers Ph.D. holders, 14 Ph.D. students, 3 MSc. Students, 5 Diploma students, 2 Engineers, 5 Research Assistants, 3 Technicians and 7 Administrative staff members. The Group has been involved as a Partner or Coordinator in more than 100 European funded projects covering a wide variety of multidisciplinary subjects.

European Meeting Point: Energy For Development

Beja, Alentejo, Portugal

10-12 October 2007

Clean Air 2007

Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal

2-5 July 2007