FME-CEDREN-Centre for environmental design of renewable energy

CEDREN is a true multi-disciplinary research centre, and all projects and activities are organised with emphasis on bringing several disciplines together, with technologists, economists, ecologists, hydrologists and political scientists joining forces to work towards common goals. The structure of the FME scheme concentrating on "thematic research centres" makes this possible. We strongly believe this would not have been possible in traditionally organised research. CEDREN has contributed to gain more knowledge in specific fields of research. However, the largest advances in research and contribution to solve challenges related to renewable energy, has clearly been in the interface between traditional disciplines. In addition, the FME scheme also creates a platform of dialogue between scientists and a broad range of end users and stakeholders from industry, authorities and the public. We have experienced that meetings, workshops and seminars organised by CEDREN, creates an open atmosphere where parties that may have contrasting views can meet for information exchange, discussion and positive dialogue. Before CEDREN started, the strategic vision for future energy policy in Norway did not emphasize the role of hydropower as an important part of future technology. After eight years of research on environmental design of renewable energy, the attitude towards hydropower has changed. Hydropower and flexible energy systems are now given top priority, and the need for ecological and environmental design of renewables is clearly stated by the updated Norwegian Energi21 research strategy. The concept of environmental design of hydropower is in wide use by the industry and the authorities. CEDREN has developed new and innovative solutions for hydropower technology to meet future demands for more flexible operation and increased need for balancing and storage in the electricity system. At the same time, CEDREN has developed methods, models and guidelines to assess environmental impacts and to find win-win solutions for hydropower production and the ecosystem – successfully implemented as environmental design of hydropower. The term environmental design has been established and demonstrated not only for hydropower but also for wind power and power lines. CEDREN has developed methods and ready-to-use tools to find the most optimal routing of power transmission lines taking technical, economic, environmental and societal factors into consideration. Through new tools and methods developed in CEDREN, siting and operation of wind power plants can be better adapted to the environment, avoiding conflicts between wildlife and energy production. One of the main tasks in CEDREN has been to educate PhD, post docs and MSc students. About 30 PhD and post docs and around 100 master students have done their thesis in a broad spectre of CEDREN topics. These candidates are now well suited to serve industry, academia and authorities in future challenges in renewable energy. A lot of the research achievements and results from CEDREN are now used in lectures and special courses at various topics at several study programmes at NTNU. CEDREN has produced results ranging from fundamental research findings and new theoretical explanations, to computer model development and application of new methods. In-depth research in specific topics have helped understand how river-bed shear stress and lift forces work when discharge changes rapidly, how environmental conditions such as physical habitat, water temperature, ice conditions and water flow influence the growth and survival of young salmonids, and how power line corridors can be maintained to create important grazing areas for moose. These and many more examples of fundamental research all contribute to the wider understanding of the complex challenge to improve environmental conditions at the same time as increasing or maintaining the power production. CEDREN has used such new findings together with existing knowledge and international literature to systematically develop methods, models and guidelines for application, implementation and a broad use of science. This is demonstrated widely in CEDREN, for example in: - Tools for consensus based siting of wind power plants and powerlines - Tools to calculate discharge in ungauged rivers - Models to study how salmon populations are affected by river regulation and climate change - Guidance in how to make decision-making processes for renewable energy better - How to compare environmental impacts from different renewable energy sources The above list is just showing a few of the applied results from CEDREN. Many of these results have been used in case studies, mostly in close collaboration with user partners, describing case studies as the best way of learning and implementing new methods, models and research results. CEDREN has met with individual user partners 56 times, and the authorities 18 times throughout the project-period. Targeting

While renewable energy sources like hydropower, on- and offshore wind, bio- and ocean energy are essential for reaching targets for reduction in greenhouse gases, their local ecological and societal footprints may be large. Successful development and impl ementation of such energy systems thus depend on our ability to address the local challenges. The vision of the Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy, CEDREN is to become an important instrument for addressing local environmental and societa l challenges associated with renewable energy in Norway, starting with hydropower, on-shore wind and transmission lines and expanding into off-shore wind and other renewable sources. The main challenge for hydropower is to develop technological and operat ional designs for balancing the increasing degree of uncontrolled renewable energy production while maintaining the ecological integrity of the associated ecosystems. For other renewables, the main challenges are to design systems that minimize environmen tal and societal impacts, to develop systems for comparisons of impacts of different sources and to understand the political, institutional and regulatory mechanisms involved. The CEDREN consortium represents a unique collaboration of institutions with in ternationally recognised competence on hydropower design, hydrology and hydraulics, applied aquatic and terrestrial ecology and social sciences. This interdisciplinary group, working in close cooperation with a range of international scientists, industry and management will utilize modern experimental, field and numerical laboratories to meet the challenges of environmental design. Industry and management partners are strongly dedicated to the Centre objectives. PhDs and post-docs will form the core of th e research activity and ensure education of relevant expertise. Due to the societal perspective of the Centre, strong emphasis will be placed on the dissemination of results and interaction with society.