1. Renewable Energy in Israel
Research, Application and Vision
Dr. Igor Derzy
Manger, Renewable Energy and Technologies
Office of Chief Scientist
Ministry of National Infrastructures

2. Historical
• Before Independence
Declaration :
– HUJI
– Technion
• 1948:
– Ben Gurion, sets up
Research Council of Israel
– National Physical
Laboratory
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

3. Domestic Solar Water Heaters
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

4. Israel - Pioneer in Alternative Energy
• Solar
– Solel, Luz II, MST, DiSP, Zenith Solar, Solecta
• Wind
– Leviathan, Winflex, Rafael...
• Electric Vehicle Propulsion
– Electric Fuel, Better Place ...
• Energy Storage : Batteries, Fuel Cells, Super Capacitors
– Tadiran, Electric Fuel, Enstorage ...
• Biofuels
– Transbiodiesel, Trans Algae ...
• Geothermal
– Ormat
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

5. Ministry of National Infrastructures
Objectives
• Guarantee at all times the supply of demands for energy
• Achieve the maximum possible level of competition
– Limited government involvement only in “market failures” and
“security or safety considerations”
• Achieve more efficient use of energy
– Production of energy, Transport, Domestic
consumption, Industry, Public commercial
• Minimize the environmental damage from the production
and use of the energy,
– Leakage and Health - standards in developed countries.
– Emission Rates - accepted rates in OECD countries.
• Intelligent use of land resources
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

6. Office of Chief Scientist
• Advance the aims of the ministry by technological and
scientific innovation.
– Alternative sources of energy located in Israel
– Technologies for the more efficient exploitation of the
conventional energy sources
– Preservation and monitoring of know-how regarding
energy.
• The major activities
– Funding and Monitoring of R&D and Commercial Projects.
– Taking part in formulation of policy from scientific and
technological POV.
– Advancing international cooperation.
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

7. “vertical”, system oriented, R&D
efforts
• Energy efficiency and energy saving:
“Green & smart “ cities, houses, industries, etc…
• Smart grid;
– Natural incorporation of distributed electricity
suppliers and customers
– Better security of supply
– Efficient usage of resources
–…
• Alternatives to oil for transportation and for the
chemical industries
• Future nuclear power
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

8. “Horizontal”, technology-
oriented, R&D efforts
• Renewable Energies –
– solar, wind, geothermal, energy from waste, biomass… ,
– RE for heating & cooling,
– RE for fuel production,
– etc…
• Clean coal technologies,
• Transportation technologies,
• Basic research in supporting areas:
– Material science,
– High-Temperature Superconductivity
– Etc…
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

9. CS Funding
• R&D grants
– Emphasis on International, Academy-Industry
collaboration.
– Several Hundreds
• Startergy - Start up Funding
– 62.5% from up to 1M NIS
– High Technological Risk
– Israeli Companies
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

10. The world’s addiction to oil
The demand
• Oil is NOT any more a key factor in electricity production
(Only ~5%)
• ~10% for heat (steam, etc.) production
• But, transportation (ground, marine and air) is heavily
dependent on oil (~60%)
• The chemical industry consumes ~25% of the oil market
• These two sectors are oil-captive markets
• The oil demand increases exponentially especially in
developing countries
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

11. GLOBAL DEPENDANCE ON THE OIL
CARTEL
Cartel : unstable &
unpredictable prices
Terrorism
• Most of the oil providers
are radical regimes that
More
support terrorism resources
larger
defense
to
expenses
terrorism
Larger
Increase
income to
in OIL
the OIL
demand
suppliers
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

12. Alternatives to oil program
prime minister initiative
• TARGET - To relax the GLOBAL addiction to oil – not oriented
to the Israeli market!
– Focus on the transportation sector only
– Explore all alternatives: biofuels, electric cars, hydrogen, synthetic
fuels (Fisher-Tropsch)… , efficient engines,…
– Support the whole life-cycle of technologies development
– Support all the systems’ components – from technologies to
implementation aspects: infrastructures, regulations, etc.
– Long-term (10 years) commitment of funds, ~M200 NIS/year
– Strong emphasis on international collaboration and international
private and public financial contribution
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

13. Opportunities
• Funds available for exceptional projects
• Simplified mechanism - One-stop center for all the
activities
• Use existing governmental R&D tools: MOITAL Chief
Scientist office, MNI, MOST, ISF, BSF, BIRD, BARD,
GIF,…
• New Centers of excellence in the academy
• Special additional venture-capital funds based on 1:3
governmental to private participation
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

14. Thank you
Dr. Igor Derzy
Manger, Renewable Energy and Technologies
Office of Chief Scientist
Ministry of National Infrastructures
P.O.B. 36148, Jerusalem 91360
T. +972-2-5316120, C. +972-54-4881987, F. +972-2-5316017
igord@mni.gov.il www.mni.gov.il
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

15. Solar Energy in the Academy
Sde-Boker Research Center
The Sun Tower facility
Novel Self-cleaning solar panels
The Weizmann Institute
World's largest dish 10,000 suns
3G – Dye cells
Concentrated solar
energy
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

16. Solar Energy In the Industry
Zenith Solar – Concentrated solar energy
LUZ II – Solar tower test facility
Acktar - black light absorbing coatings
SOLEL – Solar power plan in Nevada
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

17. Wind, geothermal energy sources
• Geothermal energy – ORMAT Industries
• Wind – Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI, Winflax,…)
ORMAT – Geothermal power plan
Example of another geothermal project
Enanced Geothermal energy project –
GSI, Ormat, Rafael
Winflex
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
Dr. Shlomo Wald ISRAEL

18. Electric cars
• Hybrid cars - Excellent fuel cell and new batteries
development
• Better Place – Plug-in electric cars
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
ISRAEL

19. Energy efficiency
Efficiency and inovations
in the car industry
• Agam's engine will drive a car 100 miles per
gallon
• Agam's car engine consumes a fifth of the
petrol and emits a tenth of the CO2 fumes and
pollution of a standard car
Energy Efficiency – Architecture and housing
design in arid areas
Agam’s Engine
Ministry of National Infrastructures
Chief Scientist Office
Dr. Shlomo Wald ISRAEL