VERENA-Award 2021 awards revolutionary air-source heat pumps
04.11.2021Vienna
The VERBUND-E-Novation Award 2021 – VERENA for short – went to the Tyrolean start-up LAMBDA Wärmepumpen GmbH and the MCI, Management Center Innsbruck for the development of a new generation of air-source heat pumps. The VERENA award from VERBUND, the leading electricity company in Austria, is awarded to particularly innovative companies in the energy sector as part of the State Prize for Innovation.
The VERBUND-E-Novation Award 2021 – VERENA for short – went to the Tyrolean start-up LAMBDA Wärmepumpen GmbH and the MCI, Management Center Innsbruck for the development of a new generation of air-source heat pumps. The VERENA award from VERBUND, the leading electricity company in Austria, is awarded to particularly innovative companies in the energy sector as part of the State Prize for Innovation.
“This year’s prize winner LAMBDA shows how we can achieve the energy transition. By always critically analysing existing solutions and processes and checking where improvements can be made. These are precisely the corporate personalities that we need for achieving the energy and climate targets,” says VERBUND CEO Michael Strugl enthusiastically about the quality of the submitted projects. “Every single project is an outstanding innovation, which once again proves the potential that exists in Austrian companies and scientific institutions. Once again this year, VERENA sends out power signals to industry and environment, and I am proud to see so much entrepreneurial spirit and innovative drive. The VERENA promotional award is an important piece in the puzzle when it comes to redesigning the energy future.”
- Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH in cooperation with Linz Center of Mechatronics for the project “ET17e: World’s first 1.7 tonne zero-tail mini-excavator with electric drive”
The VERBUND-E-Novation Award (VERENA) was presented this year for the 19th time by the leading Austrian electricity company VERBUND for innovative projects on the topics of Energy Efficiency, Energy Management and Smart Grids, Electromobility, and Electricity from Renewable Energies. VERENA motivates industry and research to cooperate on the implementation of pioneering measures. VERENA has been presented as a special prize of the State Prize for Innovation since 2012.
“This year’s prize winner LAMBDA shows how we can achieve the energy transition. By always critically analysing existing solutions and processes and checking where improvements can be made. These are precisely the corporate personalities that we need for achieving the energy and climate targets,” says VERBUND CEO Michael Strugl enthusiastically about the quality of the submitted projects. “Every single project is an outstanding innovation, which once again proves the potential that exists in Austrian companies and scientific institutions. Once again this year, VERENA sends out power signals to industry and environment, and I am proud to see so much entrepreneurial spirit and innovative drive. The VERENA promotional award is an important piece in the puzzle when it comes to redesigning the energy future.”
More warmth, lower energy costs
Many conventional air-source heat pumps do not make optimal use of the free energy in the environment, because the flow of heat between the energy source of air and the refrigerant in the pump is lower than it could be. This is precisely where the young company LAMBDA, based in the Kitzbühel Alps, uses optimised fluid mechanics called the 3K process. The flow of heat is improved four to six times and the efficiency increased. This lowers both the electricity consumption of the pump and the noise emitted by the associated fan. Although LAMBDA uses a natural coolant, propane, with a relatively much lower greenhouse potential, for its own heat pumps, these achieve heating temperatures of up to 70 °C. Apart from classic sales of the product, LAMBDA also issues licences. In this way, the innovative entrepreneurs from Brixen im Thale ensure a solid basis for growth.Two other companies were nominated for the VERENA prize in 2021:
- EET - Efficient Energy Technology GmbH in cooperation with TU Graz for the project “SolMate - Photovoltaics and storage for self-installation”- Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH in cooperation with Linz Center of Mechatronics for the project “ET17e: World’s first 1.7 tonne zero-tail mini-excavator with electric drive”
The VERBUND-E-Novation Award (VERENA) was presented this year for the 19th time by the leading Austrian electricity company VERBUND for innovative projects on the topics of Energy Efficiency, Energy Management and Smart Grids, Electromobility, and Electricity from Renewable Energies. VERENA motivates industry and research to cooperate on the implementation of pioneering measures. VERENA has been presented as a special prize of the State Prize for Innovation since 2012.
