Pentagon is a 3-years research and innovation project that will investigate the potential of wider deployment of energy conversion technologies and strategies at district-level, with the aim to foster flexibility in the low-voltage and medium-voltage grid. The rationale that underlies Pentagon approach is that multi-vector smart districts can be the key enablers of future smart grids, provided their flexibility capabilities are augmented with adequate energy conversion technologies. To this end, Pentagon will deliver two key technology assets: a highly efficient power-to-gas installation sized for coupling with typical district heating plants and a multi-vector multi-scale district energy management platform for the combined monitoring and management of all district energy carriers. The power-to-gas technology will achieve a 15 to 25% energy gain compared to state-of-the-art performances. The multi-vector multi-scale district energy management platform will achieve 15 to 20% more flexibility at district-level, allowing for a 25% increase of renewable penetration, by leveraging building and district power to heat conversion capabilities. These impacts will be thoroughly assessed through an iterative validation and demonstration roadmap that will start with lab-scale individual component testing, continue with a focused deployment in district-scale experimental facilities, and conclude with a wider simulation-based assessment at distribution grid level that will rely on a real smart district from a project partner. Based on the results of the validation and demonstration, Pentagon will be able to implement an exploitation roadmap aimed both at (a) preparing the commercialization of the results (5-years post-project horizon) and (b) the definition and targeted dissemination of innovative local energy aggregation business models, leveraging a 200+ member stakeholder community and connections between PENTAGON and relevant market design standardization initiatives.

The project aims to establish and clarify the benefits and added value of more aligned and harmonised regulations and standards for prioritised topics related to decommissioning and initial phases of radioactive waste handling, including shared processing facilities between Member States (MS). The project has a two-phase approach: first engaging with Stakeholders to assess needs and pros/cons for harmonisation and identify priority areas for deeper analysis (WP2). The second phase will pursue deeper engagement with Stakeholders to further assess the highest ranked priority areas in Work Packages (WP) focusing on (i) cross border services and cooperation (WP3), (ii) circular economy (WP4), and (iii) advanced technologies (WP5). These WPs will review (inter)national practices, capture lessons learned, and assess opportunities. WP6 on Regulatory Framework will identify regulatory differences between MS and evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with harmonisation, while quantifying the benefits of aligned regulations and proposing harmonisation methodologies. The project will: - support coordination between Stakeholders, - enhance existing commitments to facilitate sharing and exchange of knowledge and experience, - develop strategies for shared treatment and storage facilities, cross border services and cooperation, and explore additional mechanisms to build capacity in MS, - assess and clarify the benefits and any disadvantages of harmonisation, - deliver S&T-based solutions and share best practices by engaging and supporting coordination between different actors through the TSOs and regulators, - define conditions and opportunities of a high safety circular economy. The action will reinforce the activities of the EURAD, PREDIS, and SHARE projects, while encompassing MS national programs and the wider European Community, including i.e. ERDO, ENSREG, WENRA, IAEA, OECD NEA, IGDTP, SNETP, DigiDecom.

TABEDE aims to allow all buildings equipped with Building Energy Management Systems to integrate energy grid demand response schemes, overcoming limitations linked to missing interoperability, at reducedcost. For that purpose, TABEDE will allow connection of all dispatchable loads to the Building Energy System through a dedicated TABEDE interface, whatever the communication protocol. A dedicated smart grid communication protocol translator will be provided to ease the acceptance of the TABEDE system as well as a database of dispatchable load drivers. Moreover, in order to improve building efficiency, novel building energy management strategies will be proposed, in terms of electric load and thermal management, adapting to the evolving environment, as well as building continuous monitoring. TABEDE solution will be demonstrated and assessed through extensive simulation-based testing. The proposed solutions will be deployed on three test sites (residential and tertiary) that are representative of EU building stocks and conditions.