System Approach for Integrating High PV Levels into Low Voltage Grids, resulting in a decentralized fully automated grid management system coordinating PV Systems, battery storage systems and automated secondary substations

The project CROME – cross-border mobility for EVs (Electric Vehicles) – is one of the first cross-border field tests among the meanwhile several electric mobility projects in Europe. The project is located in the border region between France and Germany and includes on the French side the regions Alsace - with particular focus on the Strasbourg urban area - and Moselle. On the German side the project includes the area of Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden, Freiburg and Stuttgart.

The flexibility of the industrial electricity demand has been identified as a potential that through innovative business models can facilitate further growth of variable renewable energy, while reducing the industrial electricity costs and contributing to the European energy policy goals. In this project the large industry is working with the renewable energy community to identify and implement business models for supplying variable renewable electricity to industrial users with flexibility in their demand, creating win-win situations.

Nobel Grid objective is to provide new tools and ICT services for all actors of the electricity distribution grid and retail market, providing more secure and stable Smart Grids and cleaner and affordable energy. Nobel Grid began on January 1, 2015, and is planned to have a duration of 42 months.

In SMARTSPACES, ICT-based services for public buildings have been evaluated across Europe. Almost 600 buildings were equipped with the ICT-solution. The services are designed to evaluate the impact on overall energy consumption in public buildings (non-residential). Energy efficiency investments are a cost-effective means for decreasing energy consumption, reducing energy bills and reducing the likelihood for energy poverty. The SMARTSPACES solution offers Energy Management (EMS) and energy Decision Support and Awareness services (EDSS). The solution is based on ICT and smart metering.

The BECA project designed, developed and piloted new solutions to enable sustained reductions in energy consumption across European social housing. This was accomplished by providing usable ICT-based services for Energy Management (EMS) and Energy Decision Support Service (EDSS) directly to tenants as well as to social housing staff. The project achieved 15% savings for heating, 11% for cold water and 17% for hot water. Savings amount to 570MWh which equals 177 tons of CO2 per year. Financial pay-off is achieved by most stakeholders during the first 3 years.

Sun, water and biomass are a natural capital of the Alpine Space. It is a must to use them for the production of energy. Besides intelligent grids, storage systems will be key enablers for a future mostly renewable energy supply. Electric vehicles (EV) will be integral elements of the future energy system. Their batteries can be charged with excessive power from intermittent energy sources and electricity can be fed into the grid to meet peak loads. Beyond short term balancing with EVs, stationary batteries can serve long term balancing needs.

The objective of this demonstration project is to design, integrate and pilot an innovative solution for social housing, using mature and interactive ICT, to enable sustained reductions of energy and water consumption of at least 15% below the current practice, without compromising living conditions, across 300 social dwellings in 10 European countries, with latitudes ranging from 56oN to 38oN.

Leveraging on the empirical data and lessons learnt in real Active Demand (AD) experiences, the overall objective of the project is to develop actionable frameworks enabling residential, commercial and industrial consumers to participate in AD. Furthermore, the benefits of AD for the key stakeholders and the inherent impacts on the electricity systems considering its potential contribution to system stability and efficiency are to be quantified taking different scenarios into account.

REserviceS has provided technical and economic guidelines and recommendations for the design of a European market for ancillary services, as well as for future network codes within the Third Liberalisation Package. Services like controlling the frequency and voltage, as well as reserves, provided to transmission and distribution system operators are an essential part of ensuring the safe and efficient operation of electricity grids.