The bLACK.bLOCK project seeks to optimize the use of solar energy and was selected by the jury of the 2015 EDP Innovation Award. A year of incubation at EDP Starter and a €50.000 prize to implement the project are the most relevant rewards in this EDP competition designed to award innovative ideas in the energy field.

The bLACK.bLOCK project is a method for automating the operation of a hybrid dehydration and heating solar system, which can be used in agriculture and agro-industry for drying plants and storing purposes, but also in residential contexts if applied to several households. To do this, a physical module and a program have been created and patented. The physical module comprises a black modular container covered with polycarbonate, heating and dehumidification equipment, and an automaton. The program consists of a computation algorithm which, from the reading and processing of physical data - temperature and relative humidity - enables the optimization of solar energy use and reduces the need for a non-renewable energy source. This fact makes this process energy efficient by reducing costs and CO2 emissions by over 70%.

The second place was awarded to Smart Solar Water (SSW), a smart controller integrated in the Internet-of-Things, which, by using dynamic and contextual data, maximizes the use of solar energy for hot water, thereby reducing electric support costs. The SSW applies cutting-edge research and technology integration to optimize energy efficiency while providing a quick investment return, especially for companies or organizations with greater energy consumption.

The Stoock multisensor was the third competition winner - a device that detects physical parameters in agricultural settings to calculate the water balance of a given crop and accurately determine required irrigation levels, thereby minimizing water and energy waste. The second and third runners-up will also gain more knowledge and support to develop their projects over the next year, while they are hosted by EDP's incubator.

It should be recalled that about 30% of the startups supported by EDP Starter have emerged from the EDP Innovation Award. Zypho, Omniflow and Vertequip are highly successful examples of this - projects which, despite not having won the EDP Innovation award, are now successful, fast growing companies receiving venture capital investment and undergoing an important international expansion process.