Smart Grid (SG) concepts are rapidly being transferred to the market and huge investments have been made in renewable-based electricity generation and rolling out smart meters. However, the present state of the art does not ensure neither a good return of investment nor a sustainable and efficient power system. The work so far in the EU involves mainly larger stakeholders, namely power utilities and manufacturers more focused on production and grid resources.

Within the project, the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Neckar-Alb is constructed and operated on the campus of Reutlingen University. For this purpose, distributed energy resources are installed and, together with existing power installations, connected to a control system to be operated according to market requirements. The project's planning phase started at the end of 2015. Middle of 2016, the construction of the demonstration plant will start firstly with the installation of the control system, of new energy systems and with the connection to the facilities of the university.

Virtual power stations with mini and micro-block heating stations offer a multifaceted Smart-Grids and climate protection potential for the “warm revolution”. Various obstacles are standing in the way of the market expansion of these systems, such as the high connection and integration costs of the facilities, a lack of information for the end customers, as well as the current regulation. Thus, only facilities of higher power class are connected to virtual power stations (“VKK”) and used for system services such as controlling power range.

In the context of previous research activities around the process of transformation of the energy system, the project LiLa Walldorf impresses with its holistic, systemic nature: Not only the energy and communication technology systems and the operational processes and algorithms, but also the role model and the regulatory framework are themselves part of the management scope. This means that all system components are optimally matched to each other and interconnected.

DSM-Plattform BW will create a concept and prototypical implementation of a DSM real-time data platform. The platform can be used to obtain real-time values of technical and available demand-side management potentials in aggregated form which has been released by companies. Hence, energy service providers can gain insight on available technical potentials and in turn contact companies to support the marketing of these flexibility potentials.

NOBEL GRID will provide advanced tools and ICT services to all actors in the Smart Grid and retail electricity market in order to ensure benefits from cheaper prices, more secure and stable grids and clean electricity. NOBEL GRID results will be tested in real conditions in five different electric cooperatives and non-profit demonstration sites in five EU members’ states: The electric cooperative of Alginet (Spain) The renewable energy cooperative Ecopower in Flanders (Belgium) acts as renewable generator and supplier cooperative. The cooperative Carbon-coop in Manchester (UK). The pu