Department of Systems and Control

Jožef Stefan Institute

Centre of Excellence Low-Carbon Technologies (CO NOT)

Principal investigator:

Prof. Dr. Miran Gaberšček, National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia
Responsible investigator at the department: Dr. Vladimir Jovan

Duration:

2010 – 2013

Funding:

Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Government of the Republic of Slovenia, co-financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Abstract

Centre of Excellence Low carbon technologies (CO NOT), financed by the European Union (through the European Regional Development Fund) and the Republic of Slovenia, has been established during the intensive search in the field of renewable energy sources and rational energy use. CO NOT in the consortium brings together the key potentials of the Slovenia in low carbon energy sources and their use in mobile and stationary applications. CO NOT includes 22 partners, i.e. 12 laboratories at two research institutes (National Institute of Chemistry and the Jozef Stefan Institute), at University of Ljubljana (including Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), and at University of Nova Gorica, and 10 industrial partners (Domel, Inea, TEŠ, HSE, Petrol, Silkem, Iskra Tela, Cinkarna, Mebius and RCVT).

The goal is to convert solar energy into electrical energy and store it in batteries and supercapacitors (lithium technologies), or convert it into hydrogen, which will be used in fuel cells (hydrogen technology). Lithium and hydrogen technologies make a whole, which will in future cover a large spectrum of customers (e.g. hybrid and electric cars, energy supply of buildings, etc.).

CO NOT consists of two main pillars of research, covering the entire spectrum of activities - from basic research of new materials for converting solar energy into electrical energy or hydrogen, then adjustment of devices to convert solar energy, research of materials and design of prototype devices that use hydrogen or electrical energy, to the design of entire systems, and finally marketing of new high-tech products. At all these levels the activities are considered that instead of current fossil fuel introduce the production and use of energy sources with low of zero carbon emissions, which will reduce the share of emissions produced in our country and abroad.

Within CO NOT the researchers of our Department are leading the research activities within the hydrogen technology pillar.

Official project webpage:http://www.conot.si/