PVSmile aims to transform passive utility-scale PV components and systems into flexible, community-level assets that are fully integrated into energy grids. By leveraging cutting-edge ICTs alongside decentralized, sharing-economy and community-driven models, PVSmile will deliver data-driven, value-added energy and non-energy services to key stakeholders across the energy value chain (network operators, aggregators, ESCOs) and the PV sector (manufacturers, developers, O&M providers). This vision will be realized through: Interactive SSH-driven frameworks & Multi-Level Governance Models to promote inclusive energy communities, increasing citizen participation especially among underrepresented groups; Smart Grid Readiness Index for Energy Communities & MCDA tools to build consensus among diverse stakeholders; Inclusive & circular economy business models, coupled with incentive mechanisms; PV-centric Data Space adaptation, integrating DLT/Blockchain, cybersecurity mechanisms and semantic interoperability to facilitate seamless, secure, and standardized data exchange; Smart hierarchical control strategies at different levels (PV converters, inverters, substations) supported by smart power electronics, sensors and intelligent systems; Data-driven applications & advanced components for PV optimal planning, construction, operation & EoL management; Advanced AI/ML tools, flexibility modelling services & an Energy Data Space-compliant DLT/Blockchain marketplace to enable PV-community orchestration and P2P asset trading; GenAI-based Digital Twin for hierarchical coordination of energy communities with the grid. PVSmile focuses on international collaboration across the Mediterranean region, with demonstration and replication activities in 9 countries (3 Front Runners, 3 EU & 3 Non-EU Early Adopters). The Leadership Programme and policy recommendations will further support scalability, ensuring the long-term success of community-integrated PV systems across different regions.

Despite the large economic energy saving potential in the EU, the energy service companies (ESCOs) market for residential buildings is much less developed than in other demand sectors (e.g. the industry or public/service sectors). Besides sector cross-cutting barriers (e.g. low energy prices, lack of information and awareness, lack of appropriate forms of finance) there are specific barriers which make a large-scale application of the ESCO model for residential buildings particularly difficult (e.g. lack scale or lack the necessary energy intensity to justify investment within the structure of present-day EPC model). In this context, frESCO aims to engage with ESCOs and aggregators and enable the deployment of innovative business models on the basis of novel integrated energy service bundles that properly combine and remunerate local flexibility for optimizing local energy performance both in the form of energy efficiency and demand side management. Such new service and business models will bring under common Pay for Performance Contracts (extended form of current EPCs) two currently differentiated service offerings to enable the realization of next-generation smart energy service packages. The strong presence of the industry in the consortium (2 ESCOs, 2 aggregators, 3 ICT and technology providers and 2 engineering companies) and the end-users (1 Cooperative and 1 Hotel), supported by 3 knowledgable RTOs, will ensure the market uptake of frESCOs new business models. frESCO's new business models will be demonstrated in 4 different pilots (Spain, France, Croatian and Greece) with complementary characteristics in terms of building typology (single-/multi-family), climate, regulation, energy consumption, energy assets, consumer groups, etc., thus facilitating the replicability of frESCO's solutions across Europe. Overall, frESCO aims to directly achieve a primary savings of 464 MWh/yr and a reduction of 108 tCO2/yr and trigger 28.3M€ investment during the replication