Smart automated Demand Response (DR) represents a valid alternative to grid reinforement for electricity Distribution System Operators (DSOs) to procure in a cost-effective way the necessary flexibility for integrating larger shares of intermittent RESs, while not compromising security of supply and network reliability. However DR potential has been exploited so far to a very limited extent due to a number of technological, regulatory, economic barriers. To cope with these challenges, eDREAM will develop and make available a novel near real time DR scalable secure blockchain-driven technological and business framework aimed to optimize aggregated system services flexibility provisioning to DSOs. The project will research and develop tools and services for: i) optimal DR system design, which includes early detection of flexibility potential via multimodal fusion of aerial, LIDAR and thermal imaging, end users profiling and segmentation by leveraging on big data clustering and large data sets visual interactive exploration and DR optimization services for energy end users; ii) optimal DSO-driven Demand Response management, including novel applications of blockchain decentralized ledger for secure data handling, market-based microgrid control and near real time closed loop DR verification aimed to improve system observability and enable fair DR financial settlement. Novel flexibility market and services/products design, as well as cooperative DSO-aggregator business models enabled by incentive sharing will validate the eDREAM DR technical concept from the economic perspective. The eDREAM technologies will be extensively validated in a lab-based pilot (Greece), followed by two field pilots, a C&I VPP-based optimal aggregated flexibility management in UK and a mixed stationary and movable (EVs) loads flexibility microgrid-level optimized flexibility management in Italy.

The project HYPERRIDE (HYbrid Provision of Energy based on Reliabilty and Resiliancy via Integration of Dc Equipment) contributes to the field implementation of DC and hybrid ACDC grids. Starting with the definition of most relevant fields of application for DC grids (local microgrids, grid enforcement to overcome congestions, coupling of AC grid sections, etc.), the enabling technologies will be specified in detail on different levels. Starting from the system perspective, guidelines for grid planning and operation are developed. To optimize invest for the use case dependent use of assets available sizing tools are adapted for the field of DC grids.DC circuit breakers are key technologies for grid protection needed to overcome the main concerns related to these infrastructures. Therefore, HYPERRIDE will raise the TRL of the most promising approaches currently available with a main focus on MVDC breakers. To enable grid automation DC sensors are developed further to provide field ready devices to create data for optimal grid automation. Automation algorithms will be created, validated in a test platform and transferred towards demonstration. This also involves concepts and solutions for cyber security and fault detection. In case of grid faults necessary solutions are developed to prevent cascading effects. For fault prevention databases are created to trigger preventive measures. With demonstrations in three countries (Aachen/Germany, Lausanne/Switzerland, Terni/Italy) the project will showcase relevant and above-mentioned enabling technologies within a wide range of use cases. Benefits of the solutions will be evaluated, especially the integration potential of renewables with respect to conventional AC grids. Finally, business models are created for the products, services and applications in HYPERRIDE.Consequently, HYPERRIDE will actively identify and provide solutions to overcome barriers for a successful roll-out of new infrastructure concepts throughout Europe.

SOFIE addresses the challenges of the call by creating a secure and open IoT federation architecture and framework. We use Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), including blockchains and inter-ledger technologies, to enable actuation, auditability, smart contracts and management of identities and encryption keys, and to enable totally decentralised solutions with virtually unlimited scalability. We address the fragmentation of IoT through federation rather than integration. Virtually any IoT platform can join the federation by creating, relatively simply, an adapter. Data remains in the respective IoT platforms and is usable by all the applications within the limits set by the applicable security and privacy policies. We exercise security and privacy by design. We provide end-to-end security, key management, authorisation, accountability, and auditability, utilising DLTs where applicable. The user shall retain control over their data also after the data have been stored in the Cloud or Fog in an EU GDPR (or other regulations) compliant manner. We base our work on existing open standards, interfaces and components, such as FIWARE, W3C Web of Things (WoT), and oneM2M. We will select existing components, develop new ones, and collect them — together with documentation, instructions and examples — into an IoT federation framework for creating administratively decentralised, open, and secure IoT business platforms from existing IoT platforms. We will demonstrate the practicality of our approach by using it in three pilots in three different sectors: food chain, gaming, and energy market. Three business platforms will be realised for the pilots. The results of the pilots will be evaluated against the key performance indicators. We actively participate in standardisation and disseminate our results through scientific journals, conferences, and workshops, but also the Web, social media and developer communities. We also aim to make at least two of the pilots sustainable.

This multidisciplinary four year project aims to establish a solid scientific base and stakeholder awareness for mass deployment V2X solutions. DriVe2X will develop new knowledge, tools, models, and technologies to cope with a V2X-based mass EV deployment in future. It will study and consolidate the understanding on the behavioural uncertainties linked to V2X and develop policy tools to support increasingly complex decisions on V2X roll-out in European smart cities. DriVe2X will implement advanced artificial intelligence techniques that efficiently capture the flexible energy potential from smart charging in building parking lots, homes, and charging stations, and match it with the distribution networkss localized needs in order to research dynamic marketplaces for exchanging and trading V2X flexibility locally. DriVe2X will develop next-generation slow, lower-cost bidirectional charger units (from TRL3 to TRL7), that will be tested under different use cases in five demonstrators. DriVe2X embrace the EV users perceptions and expectations as critical success factors in V2X uptake and upscaling to a mass deployment future. Thus, DriVe2X innovates by inquiring and eliciting the social determinants of V2X, explicitly including it in the development of novel V2X technologies, tools and solutions. DriVe2Xs overall objective is to contribute to accelerate the uptake of V2X by i) deepening the state-of-the-art knowledge on this nascent field, ii) developing new V2X technologies and solutions suitable to mass EV deployment and iii) producing policy tools and insights in support of relevant decision makers. DriVe2X will advance state-of-the-art in V2X flexibility markets by establishing novel retailed marketplace, V2X charger technology by making them smarter, more efficient, cheaper and compact, the social side of V2X by providing empirical patterns and V2X upside studies by developing mass-deployment scenarios and roll-out strategies.

The increasing electrification of heat and transport coupled with larger RESs deployment of decentralized RESs is disclosing new additional opportunities for demand response. However DR potential has been exploited so far to a very limited extent at end consumer residential level, due to technologies immaturity, regulatory fuzziness, distorted business framework preventing end consumers to capture an appropriate value. To cope with the above challenges, BRIGHT will leverage on a participatory co-creation process to bring individual consumers center stage to deliver a multi-layered community-centred cross-domain adaptable multi-timescale DR supporting framework which combines social-science-driven user experience design for user behavior motivations and monetary/non-monetary incentive design, Digital Twins models for improved consumer predictability, multi-layered P2P DLT/blockchain/smart contracts based semi-decentralized VPPs for capturing intra-community interaction dynamics, value stacking flexibility management algorithms and other AI data-driven energy and-non energy services at the interplay among energy (power, heat, gas), mobility, health (comfort), smart home (AAL, personal safety). The proposed approach and the underlying enablers will be deployed and validated in 4 demo-sites across 4 EU countries where around 1000 mostly residential consumers will be engaged along a variety of different community configurations (LEC, CEC, Virtual Energy Communities, Communities on the Move).