<p>A team led by Behdad Moghtaderi, professor at the University of Newcastle Centre for Energy, worked with Granite Power Ltd (GPL) to develop the technology platform called Granex. <br />It delivers higher efficiencies than conventional power plants and increases the quantum of power that can be generated from low-grade natural heat and industrial waste sources. <br />A 100 kilowatt pilot plant set up at the varsity will enable a comprehensive power generation programme over a wide range of operating conditions. <br /><br />"The one kilowatt model was a great success and demonstrated a 40 percent improvement in terms of thermal energy efficiency and power generation," Moghtaderi said. <br />"It demonstrated for the first time an effective and economically viable technology platform for power generation from low-grade heat sources. This has allowed us to scale up the project to the 100 kilowatt pilot plant. <br />"Our work from here will allow us to establish the parameters to design and build a power plant of any size based on the Granex concept and put to use valuable heat sources that would otherwise be wasted." <br />Moghtaderi said, if harnessed, geothermal and waste heat energy could be used to meet the demand of a huge continent like Australia for years to come, said a varsity release. <br /><br />"Geothermal energy has clear environmental advantages over other renewable energy sources as it has no CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions and can provide base load electricity," Moghtaderi said. <br />GPL managing director Stephen de Belle said the "existing recovered industrial waste heat market and the growing demand for low-cost, green, base load geothermal power means there is a large and increasing market internationally for Granex." </p>
<p>A team led by Behdad Moghtaderi, professor at the University of Newcastle Centre for Energy, worked with Granite Power Ltd (GPL) to develop the technology platform called Granex. <br />It delivers higher efficiencies than conventional power plants and increases the quantum of power that can be generated from low-grade natural heat and industrial waste sources. <br />A 100 kilowatt pilot plant set up at the varsity will enable a comprehensive power generation programme over a wide range of operating conditions. <br /><br />"The one kilowatt model was a great success and demonstrated a 40 percent improvement in terms of thermal energy efficiency and power generation," Moghtaderi said. <br />"It demonstrated for the first time an effective and economically viable technology platform for power generation from low-grade heat sources. This has allowed us to scale up the project to the 100 kilowatt pilot plant. <br />"Our work from here will allow us to establish the parameters to design and build a power plant of any size based on the Granex concept and put to use valuable heat sources that would otherwise be wasted." <br />Moghtaderi said, if harnessed, geothermal and waste heat energy could be used to meet the demand of a huge continent like Australia for years to come, said a varsity release. <br /><br />"Geothermal energy has clear environmental advantages over other renewable energy sources as it has no CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions and can provide base load electricity," Moghtaderi said. <br />GPL managing director Stephen de Belle said the "existing recovered industrial waste heat market and the growing demand for low-cost, green, base load geothermal power means there is a large and increasing market internationally for Granex." </p>