RESOLVD aims to contribute to setting the next generation of competitive technologies and services for smart grids addressed in the topic LCE-01-2016-2017 (Area: 4- Intelligent electricity distribution grid). The objective is to improve the efficiency and the hosting capacity of distribution networks, in a context of highly distributed renewable generation by introducing flexibility and control in the low voltage grid. An innovative advanced power electronics device, with integrated storage management capabilities, will provide both switching and energy balancing capacities to operate the grid optimally. Continuous power flow control between storage and the grid, and also between phases, will result in a flatter and reduced demand curve at the substation level with an associated loss reduction and an improved voltage control and quality of supply. The enhanced observability of RESOLVD, provided through cost-effective PMUs and state-of-the-art short-term forecasting algorithms that predict demand and renewable generation, will permit a reduction of uncertainty in grid operation and an increased efficiency. RESOLVD proposes hardware and software technologies to improve low voltage grid monitoring with wide area monitoring capabilities and automatic fault detection and isolation. This improved observability and monitoring system combined with the capability of actuating on the grid will benefit from robust scheduling methods to support self-healing and grid reconfiguration. This will allow efficient grid operation and a maximised renewable hosting capacity. The integration of these technologies, allowing interoperability with legacy systems and third parties in a cyber secure way, envisions new business models that will be analysed during the project. Some of them focused on the role of the DSO as a facilitator, but others simply to exploit a second-life of certain types of batteries.

GRAPHERGIA aims is to develop a new science-based, holistic approach, implementing new advances to achieve one-step, laser-assisted synthesis, processing, functionalization and simultaneous integration of graphene-based materials and graphene nanohybrids, directly into relevant energy harvesting/storage devices. This will lead to a scalable, cost-effective and climate-neutral production of (i) e-textiles with the specific functions of wearable power supplying and self-powered structural sensors and (ii) next generation electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Based on current TRL 3-4 activities, the consortium explores novel ideas for 2D materials engineering and integration at TRL 5 or higher, establishing versatile pilot-scale-based approaches for these two types of applications. Configurations of TENG-based e-textiles will be prepared to fabricate flexible architectures, designed to sustainably convert energy from the environment to electricity. Laser-scribed solid-state micro-flexible supercapacitors, will be coupled to TENGs, via innovative power management circuits, acting as energy reservoirs to provide on-demand batteryless charging to wearable devices and sensors. All-in-one, self-charging power textiles with integrated electronic systems will provide a human-body-centric technology and interface of the user to the IoT by wireless transmission of sensors’ signals. In parallel, GRAPHERGIA defines a credible “dry electrode” approach to fabricate next generation electrodes for Li-ion batteries aspiring to reach the technical/economic targets of the 2030 European SET-plan. The proposed methodology will be implemented by blending recently devised IPR-protected technologies of consortium partners. To achieve these targets, a combined 2D materials and process-oriented approaches will be adopted, based on low-cost raw materials and inherently scalable fabrication approaches to ensure a cost-effective and climate-neutral production of energy harvesting and storage devices.

The increasing electrification of heat and transport coupled with larger RESs deployment of decentralized RESs is disclosing new additional opportunities for demand response. However DR potential has been exploited so far to a very limited extent at end consumer residential level, due to technologies immaturity, regulatory fuzziness, distorted business framework preventing end consumers to capture an appropriate value. To cope with the above challenges, BRIGHT will leverage on a participatory co-creation process to bring individual consumers center stage to deliver a multi-layered community-centred cross-domain adaptable multi-timescale DR supporting framework which combines social-science-driven user experience design for user behavior motivations and monetary/non-monetary incentive design, Digital Twins models for improved consumer predictability, multi-layered P2P DLT/blockchain/smart contracts based semi-decentralized VPPs for capturing intra-community interaction dynamics, value stacking flexibility management algorithms and other AI data-driven energy and-non energy services at the interplay among energy (power, heat, gas), mobility, health (comfort), smart home (AAL, personal safety). The proposed approach and the underlying enablers will be deployed and validated in 4 demo-sites across 4 EU countries where around 1000 mostly residential consumers will be engaged along a variety of different community configurations (LEC, CEC, Virtual Energy Communities, Communities on the Move).

The ongoing transformation of the European energy sector is crucial to reduce CO2 emissions and increase security of supply and independence from energy imports. A pillar of this transformation is increased power generation from renewable resources, especially wind power and photovoltaics, but also electrification of the heating and mobility sector. These generators and consumers of electrical energy are increasingly connected to the power grid via power electronic converters. Furthermore, DC lines and subnetworks are built to reduce power conversion losses and achieve cost-efficient network strengthening. Due to these trends, power systems are increasingly hybrid AC/DC systems, and their dynamic is highly influenced by power electronic devices. Maintaining system stability and situation awareness in such hybrid systems is a challenge for system operators on distribution and transmission level and creates a need for SCADA systems that are adaptable and help operators to tackle the challenges posed by the rapid transformation of the grids. InterSCADA is committed to developing and providing an open-source, vendor-independent SCADA system for operators. This will enable them to quickly adapt to sudden system perturbations, implement new monitoring and control functions, and maintain situational awareness. The InterSCADA platform will implement a set of relevant functions as microservices, creating a modular SCADA system for system operators. The InterSCADA solutions will be deployed and tested in demonstration sites in four different countries, involving both distribution and transmission system operators. Furthermore, InterSCADA will provide recommendations to grid codes and standards for hybrid AC/DC systems, aiming to facilitate the transformation of the power grid while ensuring the maintenance of stability and reliability.

AI spreading in the energy sector is expected to dramatically reshape energy value chain in the next years, by improving business processes performance, while increasing environmental sustainability, strengthening social relationships and propagating high social value among citizens. However, uncertain business cases, fragmented regulations, standards immaturity and low-technical SMEs workforce skills barriers are actually hampering the full exploitation of AI along the energy value chain. I-NERGY will deliver: (i) Financing support through Open Calls to third parties SMEs for new energy use cases and technology building blocks validation, as well as for developing new AI-based energy services, while fully aligning to AI4EU service requirements and strengthening the SME competitiveness on AI for energy; (b) An open modular framework for supporting AI-on-Demand in the energy sector by capitalising on state-of-the-art AI, IoT, semantics, federated learning, analytics tools, which leverage on edge-level AI-based cross-sector multi-stakeholder sovereignty and regulatory preserving interoperable data handling. I-NERGY aims at evolving, scaling up and demonstrating innovative AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) Energy Analytics Applications and digital twins services that will be validated along 9 pilots, which: (a) Span over the full energy value chain, ranging from optimised management of grid and non-grid RES assets, improved efficiency and reliability of electricity networks operation, optimal risk assessment for energy efficiency investments planning, optimising local and virtual energy communities involvement in flexibility and green energy marketplaces; (b) Delivers other energy and non-energy services to realise synergies among energy commodities (district heating, buildings) and with non-energy sectors (i.e. e-mobility, personal safety/security, AAL), and with non- or low-technical domains end users (i.e. elderly people).