HERI – Research Organisations Database

Support the future of renewable energy, innovation, decarbonization, and the energy transition.
With a team of energy consultants, engineers, and experts, we support our members and different companies or investors in:
Market & Regulation
Energy project feasibility studies
Advocacy Governance & Regulation
Energy Project Development and Management
TSO and DSO infrastructure
Energy events management

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EPFL is Europe’s most cosmopolitan technical university. It welcomes students, professors and collaborators of more than 120 nationalities. EPFL has both a Swiss and international vocation and focuses on three missions: teaching, research and innovation. EPFL collaborates with an important network of partners, including other universities and colleges, secondary schools and gymnasiums, industry and the economy, political circles and the general public, with the aim of having a real impact on society.

EDF (Electricite de France) is one of the largest power Utility in Europe. As regard to Hydropower, it owns and operates a fleet of more than 20,000 MW Hydro domestic capacity in France, including 430 power stations, more than 240 large dams, and one of the largest tidal range power plant at la Rance.
R&D and Engineering teams of EDF group are very active in all fields of research and innovation areas related to hydropower : civil engineering, dam safety, mechanics, hydraulics, hydrology, environment and river/ocean ecology, sustainability, electro-technics, economy and markets, SCADA, digitalization ... covering the whole life cycle of hydropower assets : design, construction, refurbishment, operation and maintenance, decommissiong. R&I activity.
These teams are closely connected to research partners in France, Europe and worlwide. EDF Hydro research teams are also involved in many R&I projects in France and Europe.

Our research addresses the greatest challenges of the future: keeping societies healthy, fostering intact environments, promoting sustainable energy and developing well-functioning political and social systems. Seeking answers through interaction between a variety of disciplines, we develop concrete solutions for regional problems which can then be applied globally. We continually strive to open new paths with science and innovation, by responding to society’s complex questions with answers geared to the needs of people.

Generation Scheduling and Control of Hydropower Plants (GSC Hydro) is a research team of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid with experience in the development of optimization models for the electric power generation scheduling and of dynamic simulation models for the analysis of the system's frequency stability and of the contribution of various generation and storage technologies to the system's frequency control.
GSC Hydro has a broad experience in modelling the performance of hydropower and pumped-storage power plants for the above purposes, considering particular plant configurations and operation modes (variable speed, hydraulic short-circuit, high inertia conduits, etc.).

NORCE is an independent research institute that conducts research for both public and private sectors, to facilitate informed and sustainable choices for the future. We deliver research and innovation in energy, health care, climate, the environment, society and technology. Our solutions address key challenges for society and contribute to value creation on the local, national and global levels.

SuperGrid Institute Hydropower develops technologies for future electricity transmission & distribution systems. We play a key role in the field of grid balancing and energy storage solutions. Our experts are particularly involved in the economics of grid balancing services including energy trading and optimised management of storage assets. They also focus on enhancing the flexibility of hydropower plants through hybridisation technologies for hydraulic systems as well as improving the performance of hydraulic turbines through expertise, simulations, and testing. Testing activities are supported by two test rigs, one dedicated to validation of model test for Francis and PSP runners according to IEC60193 standard, and another one dedicated to real-time and transient tests.

Turbulent aims to provide even the most remote communities of the world with reliable and affordable energy. We’ve developed a special kind of Vortex Turbine that generates low cost electricity, without the ecological impact, without large civil works, and without the high upfront investment cost. Turbulent’s environmentally friendly hydropower technology (no dams !) is an ideal match for VRE (Variable Renewable Energy), offering continuous electricity 24/7/365 in mini-grids and micro-grids, even featuring dispatchability. Turbulent safely powers critical healthcare infrastructure, telecom, schools, villages, businesses … on a continuous basis, in combination with new (solar) and existing installations.

Turbulent’s R&D has increasingly been focused on the design and development of modular, fish-friendly, submersible vortex generators, making use of small vertical water drops (between 1-5 m), abundant in rivers and canals around the world. With its robust and flood-proof technology, Turbulent moves away from large conventional hydropower with dams and reservoirs, to a sustainable, low-maintenance technology allowing fish, debris and sediments to pass through the installation without impact. Turbulent offers off-grid, micro-grid and on-grid distributed electrification solutions with installed capacities of 15 kW, 30 kW, 50 kW, 70kW per turbine, easily scalable to a combination of multiple turbines to increase capacity.

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