SmartSPIN will develop, test, validate and exploit a new business model that leads to greater uptake of Smart Energy Services (SES) deployed via performance-based contracting in the commercial rented sector. This sector has huge untapped potential for energy efficiency and flexibility but the split incentive problem has so far prevented the use of performance-based approaches to realise these savings. SmartSPIN removes this barrier through an Energy Efficiency-as-a-Service (EEaaS) concept that couples the contractual agreements between tenants, building owners and energy efficiency providers with technologies for energy monitoring, management and measurement and verification (M&V), increasing transparency, credibility and persistence of savings. SmartSPIN brings together a consortium of leading experts from the whole value chain to develop the SmartSPIN business model toolkit: a set of tools and resources for stakeholders on both the supply side (energy service companies, M&V specialists, etc.) and the demand side (tenants, building owners etc.) of the value chain. Technical resources include data-based M&V tools for accurate baseline estimation and predictive algorithms for building operation and control available via an Application Programming Interface to use with any energy data visualisation platform. Non-technical resources include best practice guides for stakeholders looking to deploy the SmartSPIN business model, contractual templates for EEaaS, case studies and infographics to describe the key features to a non-technical audience. SmartSPIN will validate the toolkit through extensive stakeholder engagement and by demonstrating its effectiveness in the commercial rented sector in 3 pilot regions (Spain, Greece and Ireland). To maximise impact, SmartSPIN will train 350 stakeholders on the business model’s key features through a series of pan-European exploitation workshops and webinars who will become early adopters beyond the end of the project.

The Cretan-Aegean Hydrogen Valley is covering a defined geographical area in which hydrogen will serve energy storage and energy aggregation activities via reuse of energy stored to the grid through fuel cells as well as Green H2 Road Transport. In the future Green Marine H2 Fuel applications, as well fuel for industry via its use in adjacent traditional power plant. The CRAVE-H2 is a substantial financial investment and covers all necessary steps in the hydrogen value chain, from production (securing dedicated renewable electricity production from the 582 MW Aegean project) to subsequent high pressure storage & distribution to hydrogen filling station and potential other off-takers. The Cretan-Aegean hydrogen valleys has started and has the full support of the regional authorities (partners) that pursue a "hydrogen economy”. CRAVE-H2 is necessary for piloting hydrogen market in Crete and Greece but also located in very pivotal location where leading partner EUNICE interconnects their 580 MW Aegean Wind Energy project and their new Greek - Egypt electricity transmission interconnection allowing for cheap African PV power to be introduced into the Greek electricity and hydrogen market. The location of the main hydrogen production and the above connections is the port of Atherinolakkos which could allow future deployment of use of hydrogen as maritime fuel. The main assets /scope of CRAVE - H2 are the integration of : • Alkaline Electrolyser: +3 MWel +500 tons/year H2 from DENORA • H2 compression and storage together with HRS: 1 ton • PEM Fuel Cell: 0.4 MWel from BALLARD • Employ Hydrogen buses by local company. • Re-use of water produced from the FC • Including all installation works and required AC/DC rectifier and DC/AC converters from EUNICE • LCA / LCC and study of other H2 uses in power plant, industry and maritime applications.

The goal of 24_7 ZEN is to design and build a high performing 33/100kW scale rSOC power balancing plant and demonstrate its compatibility with the electricity and gas grids. The multidisciplinary consortium behind this project has been spearheading innovations in the energy management and are pioneers on the rSOC systems development. Together, they cover every step of the value chain from enhanced materials on the cell level (POLITO, FORTH, IREC), fully operational rSOC system (SP_CH, SP_IT, OST) fully integrated, plug and play ecosystem for grid interconnection (INER, BOS, CERTH), renewable energy generation (EUNICE), transmission system operator (DESFA) and international quality assurance (KIWA). The ecosystems’ ability to optimize efficient routes of Power to Gas to Power, using H2 or NG as fuel and inject H2 into the grid, transition in <30 minutes and round trip efficiency of 45% will be demonstrated while ensuring compliance with standards and safety regulations. Finally, the consortium count on well-connected organizations in the European hydrogen, electricity and grid services sector (HSLU, CLUBE) that ensures the dissemination of the developed new business models and practices for renewable energy storage, including new concepts for the delivery of green hydrogen. This consortium will develop and validate an ecosystem that can be efficiently scaled and replicated to multi-MW scale installations. Further knowledge on how to improve the performance of rSOC (degradation rates of 0.4%/kh for 1000h, current densities of 1.5A/cm2 in both modes) and make them more cost competitive (by reducing CAPEX from 6000€/kW to 3500€/kW) will be generated. At the end of the project, new and viable scenarios to provide grid balancing and supply green hydrogen will be presented by means of a deep techno-economic analysis. By advancing rSOC towards commercial exploitation, the renewable hydrogen deployment required for a climate neutral Europe will be one step closer.

CyLH2Valley aims to develop and demonstrate a large-scale Hydrogen Valley in Castilla y León region, encompassing mobility, industry and energy applications. The project will guarantee at least two years of full operation aiming to achieve a full integration and operation during the period 2028-2029. The focus will be on operating the CyL Hydrogen Valley to demonstrate its financial viability, how all the different applications (9 pilots) fit together in an integrated system approach, and the versatility of hydrogen, as an energy vector, in enabling sector coupling. The financial viability of the CyL Hydrogen Valley will pave the way for the upscaling of the valley and the creation of a clean hydrogen economy in the CyL region by 2035, aligning the interests of the most relevant stakeholders from the hydrogen value chain. This contributes to the achievement of the EU hydrogen strategy and REPowerEU plan, while advancing towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

CRETE VALLEY aims to create a Renewable Energy Valley 'Living Lab' (REV-Lab) in Crete. It is envisioned as a decentralised renewable energy system that combines leading-edge ICT technologies, interoperable and open digital solutions (including data sovereignty), social innovation processes, and sound business models that are easy to adopt. CRETE VALLEY will demonstrate a digitalised, distributed, renewable, low carbon landscape that is affordable for all and fully covers the local energy needs on an annual basis, utilizing multiple renewable energy carriers and leveraging energy storage technologies. The REV-Lab will integrate four Community Energy Labs (CELs) located in distinct sites across CRETE VALLEY, conceived as Innovation Hubs. An integrated social, technological & business approach will be deployed, providing: A Social Science Framework for REV-Labs & CELs, innovative multi-level governance models & social-driven mechanisms for involving citizens in the co-design, implementation and exploitation of RES; AI-based market segmentation algorithms, MCDA methods and consensus analysis for REV configuration; Interactive tools for REV planning (REV Readiness Assessment & computation, Augmented Reality applications, decision support tool); Energy Data Space compliant digital backbone for consumer and REV-level data-driven ‘activation’; P2P DLT/Blockchain digital marketplace for tokenised energy and non-energy assets valuation and reciprocal compensation; Data-driven operational analysis, advanced AI/ML tools and flexibility modelling services for optimal operation & resilience of the local energy grid; System-of-system Dig. Twin for multiple carrier grid management & operation; Data-driven services and apps for energy efficiency and activation performance management towards energy autonomy; Enabling RES technologies to increase the power production; REV Business Sandbox and blueprints for REV-Lab setup, upscaling and replication (including 4 Follower Communities).