The transition to the smart grid era is associated with the creation of a meshed network of data contributors that necessitates for the transformation of the traditional top-down business model, where power system optimization relied on centralized decisions based on data silos preserved by stakeholders, to a more horizontal one in which optimization decisions are based on interconnected data assets and collective intelligence. Consequently, the need for “end-to-end” coordination between the electricity stakeholders, not only in business terms but also in exchanging information is becoming a necessity to enable the enhancement of electricity networks’ stability and resilience, while satisfying individual business process optimization targets of all stakeholders involved in the value chain. SYNERGY introduces a novel reference big data architecture and platform that leverages data, primary or secondarily related to the electricity domain, coming from diverse sources (APIs, historical data, statistics, sensors/ IoT, weather, energy markets and various other open data sources) to help electricity stakeholders to simultaneously enhance their data reach, improve their internal intelligence on electricity-related optimization functions, while getting involved in novel data (intelligence) sharing/trading models, in order to shift individual decision-making at a collective intelligence level. To this end SYNERGY will develop a highly effective a Big Energy Data Platform and AI Analytics Marketplace, accompanied by big data-enabled applications for the totality of electricity value chain stakeholders (altogether integrated in the SYNERGY Big Data-driven EaaS Framework). SYNERGY will be validated in 5 large-scale demonstrators, in Greece, Spain, Austria, Finland and Croatia involving diverse actors and data sources, heterogeneous energy assets, varied voltage levels and network conditions and spanning different climatic, demographic and cultural characteristics.

Lower population and business density make it more challenging to develop private businesses and public services in rural areas, negatively impacting socio-economic indicators. Rural areas are key to solve climate change, food, biomass and energy challenges. Favourable climate for entrepreneurship is needed for better provision of jobs, basic services, including health and care, connectivity, smart transport, energy solutions and attractiveness as whole, overcoming digital divide between rural and urban areas. AURORAL focus on delivering a digital environment of interoperable services through platforms able to trigger dynamic rural ecosystems of innovation chains, applications and services. Thus, AURORAL contributes to increasing economic growth in rural areas and to tackle significant societal challenges. AURORAL digital environment is demonstrated by cost-efficient and flexible cross-domain applications through large-scale pilots in five European regions. AURORAL digital environment builds on an open, API-based, interoperable and federated IoT architecture and includes a reference implementation supporting flexible integration of heterogeneous services, bridging the interoperability gap of the smart object platforms and creating markets for services in rural areas. AURORAL digital environment addresses the integration of data and information across different platforms, establishment of an open market place, large-scale demonstration, multiplication of novel applications, the leverage of infrastructure and inclusion of public services. AURORAL pilots follow an evolutionary agile, well-delineated, and lean approach demonstrated in large-scale applications capable of meeting social and economic objectives critical to boost new rural services and business. AURORAL digital environment supports a vibrant ecosystem of developers, service providers and user communities and addresses barriers currently opposing the socio-economic development of rural areas.

An increasing role is foreseen in Europe for local energy communities (LECs) to speed up the grid integration of RES. To-day, the enabling role of DSOs in support of LECs is hampered by a lack of flexibility when planning cost-efficient LEC connections to their network at MV level, and by a lack of digitalization of the LV networks to make LEC’s smart prosumers benefit economically when serving the DSO flexibility needs. Four European DSOs (E.ON, ENEDIS, E.DIS, Güssing Stadtwerke) and an Indian DSO (TATA) have joined with IT-based, innovative product and solution providers, and technology and research centers, to demonstrate the combined roles of innovative functionalities serving the MV and LV networks, when implemented in 5 different regulatory regimes (Austria, France, Hungary, Germany, India- state of Delhi-). For MV networks, a mobile storage concept at substation level is demonstrated in Hungary, Germany and Austria. It enables DSOs to reduce investment uncertainties, avoid hindering future renewables connection and foster the local use of flexibility with participating non-regulated market solutions (Demand Side Response-DR-). For LV networks, 3 functional use cases served by ATOS and Schneider are tested simultaneously in Austria and India with prosumer support: i) Forecasting/scheduling of Distributed Energy Resources for the optimized energy management of Local Energy Systems, ii) Customized, human-centric prosumer participation in explicit DR programs using context-aware flexibility profiles, iii) Grid-forming/islanding capabilities in Local Energy Communities to optimize their energy system resilience. The joint work of DSOS aims at accelerating scaling up and replication tested by HEDNO (Greece) and E.ON (Sweden). Dissemination towards players of the energy value chain recommends business models, possible regulatory adjustments and deployment roadmaps of the most promising use cases, in support of the implementation of the Clean Energy Package.

The de-centralization of electricity generation requires equally de-centralized and affordable solutions to integrate more RES, increase the security of supply and decarbonize the EU energy future. The combination and unique integration of de-centralized storage with technologies for local energy system optimization, including demand response, electric vehicle charging optimization and synergies with other energy vectors at the local level, can offer a cost-efficient pathway (in comparison to high-CAPEX grid upgrade investments) for local energy systems optimization in presence of high volumes of volatile and intermittent RES, since huge amounts of currently non-utilized flexibility can be unleashed to ensure optimal congestion management and effective tackling of local instabilities and imbalances. MERLON introduces an Integrated Modular Local Energy Management Framework for the Holistic Operational Optimization of Local Energy Systems in presence of high shares of volatile distributed RES. Optimization in MERLON applies to multiple levels spanning optimal coordination of local generation, with demand and storage flexibility, as well as flexibility offered by EVs and CHP Plants to facilitate maximum RES integration, avoidance of curtailment and satisfaction of balancing/ ancillary grid needs. MERLON will enable the realization of novel business models, allowing local energy communities to introduce themselves in local flexibility markets, while paving the way for the realization of novel Microgrid-as-a-Service models, assigning to local DSOs the role of “Aggregator of Aggregators” for the provision of added value services to the overlay distribution grid. It equips local stakeholders (DSOs, energy cooperatives, prosumers) with innovative and highly effective tools for the establishment of robust business practices to exploit their microgrids and dynamic VPPs as balancing and ancillary assets toward grid stability and alleviation of network constraints.

Storages are unavoidable components of the future smart grid with large share of variable renewable generation. However, the unit-cost of energy, that is retrieved from storages, is several times higher than the cost of energy consumed upon its output from RES. Therefore, there is a strong requirement on the optimisation of storage capacities deployed in the grid. This is especially true for the small energy sites such as DER and prosumers’ microgrids which are the segments, targeted by the SHAR-Q bottom-up concept. The principal objective of the SHAR-Q is to optimize the storage capacities deployed in the grid with the help of a peer-to-peer interoperability network that connects neighbourhooding RES+Storage ecosystems into a collaboration framework. Thus, the optimization of storage capacities can be achieved through their sharing among the participating actors. To get connected to the SHAR-Q network, an open interoperability gateway with semantic interface descriptors will be provided that will be based on the most adopted standards in the field. Moreover, the users will be provided with an ability to manage their contribution to the collaborative models on their own in a way that resembles the well-known social web portals (e.g. users can control with whom they wish to share specific storage capacities). The viability of the collaborative business models will be proven through added-value services, deployed over the SHAR-Q interoperability network, that will be demonstrated in 3 different pilots, targeting 3 different segments of end-users such as neighborhoods of distributed RES, coalitions of prosumers and locations with e-vehicle charging stations. The SHAR-Q research and innovation activities will be driven by the opinion of stakeholders involved in the SHAR-Q stakeholder advisory board. Their feedback will be carefully monitored throughout the project duration. Such approach is supposed to maximise the adoption potential of the SHAR-Q concept.