Renewable energies development in buildings and industry - DERBI competitiveness cluster. 2012 activity report

The DERBI competitiveness cluster brings together, business, laboratories, universities, training centres, professional associations, financial and regional collectives involved in the network of renewable energy throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Its mission is to develop research, training, technological transfer and promote the creation and development of business in the area of renewable energy in building and construction and to do so at the regional, national as well as the international level. The cluster's key objectives are: - to grow the expertise and critical pool of knowledge in the renewable energy sector within the region in order to enhance its competitive profile, - to enable business, particularly small and medium-sized enterprise to gain competitive market access, - to contribute to the construction of a regional network of 'renewable energy' and to ensure its visibility at the national and international level. At one and the same time the DERBI competitiveness cluster aims to bring about the development of regional employment in the emerging renewable energy and associated markets. The working themes of the cluster are: - Energy-producing buildings in a Mediterranean climate, based on an all-round concept; that of performance optimisation and integration of the full range of renewable energy sources (solar thermal, photovoltaic, geothermal, wind turbines); - Network managements and energy storage (electricity, heating, cooling) interconnecting homes with energy generation sites; - Energy production outside buildings (electricity, hydrogen, bio-carbons...), though solar, wind, or biomass energy, whether by supply from isolated sites or through grid connected systems. This annual report presents the missions and fields of action of the cluster, its service offering, its networks life, its projects and strategic studies support.