Energy storage systems (ESS) are gaining popularity among low voltage users as well as industrial application basically as a result of the falling price of these technologies. However many issues are still open such as the challenges coming from the integration of multiple distributed resources to the electric grid or the customers attitude regarding these new element in their installation. Regarding this potential market and user needs, GPBox energy platform is presented as a revolutionary concept in the energy sector which pretend to involve all the actors in the electric market –from electric utilities to small users– through the integration of distributed energy resources based on an on-cloud system known as eBroker. eBroker concept goes beyond current development of buy cheap/sell expensive with a full value chain from customers habit evaluation to electric grid enhancement, providing Behind the Meter services (i.e. Black Start, Voltage and Frequency support, Resource adequacy, etc.) to electric network operators, while it saves up to 25% to the user’s electric bill. Market projection shows that Energy Storage Systems (battery based) market will be worth about $ 34 billion of annual revenue in 2023. While the European market size will be $ 10-12 billion of annual revenue in 2023 (30%-40% of the total market). Renewable integration and grid ancillary services account for the vast majority of this ESS market. GPBox will provide Behind the Meter services based on embedded artificial intelligent tools which will allow cost saving to the electric network operators valued at more than 20% of current OPEX. With this first phase, GPTech objective is to obtain a feasibility study and a detailed business plan which will consolidate current expectation regarding technological, operational and economic viability of GPBox business line of products; it will include a solid exploitation strategy and a reliable business model focused on 2018.

The REFLEX project aims at developing an innovative renewable energies storage solution, the “Smart Energy Hub”, based on reversible Solid Oxide Cell (rSOC) technology, that is to say able to operate either in electrolysis mode (SOEC) to store excess electricity to produce H2, or in fuel cell mode (SOFC) when energy needs exceed local production, to produce electricity and heat again from H2 or any other fuel locally available. The challenging issue of achieving concomitantly high efficiency, high flexibility in operation and cost optimum is duly addressed through improvements of rSOC components (cells, stacks, power electronics, heat exchangers) and system, and the definition of advanced operation strategies. The specifications, detailed system design and the advanced operation strategies are supported by modelling tasks. An in-field demonstration will be performed in a technological park, where the Smart Energy Hub will be coupled to local solar and mini-hydro renewable sources and will provide electricity and heat to the headquarters of the park. It will demonstrate, in a real environment, the high power-to-power round-trip efficiency of this technology and its flexibility in dynamic operation, thus moving the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to 6. The Smart Energy Hub being modular, made of multistacks/multimodules arrangements, scale up studies will be performed to evaluate the techno-economic performance of the technology to address different scales of products for different markets. To reach these objectives, REFLEX is a cross multidisciplinary consortium gathering 9 organisations from 6 member states (France, Italy, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland). The partnership covers all competences necessary: cells and stacks development and testing (ELCOGEN, CEA, DTU), power electronics (USE, GPTech), system design and manufacturing (SYLFEN), system modelling (VTT), field test (Envipark), techno-economical and market analysis (ENGIE).

The project SENSIBLE addresses the call LCE-08-2014 by integrating electro-chemical, electro-mechanical and thermal storage technologies as well micro-generation (CHP, heat pumps) and renewable energy sources (PV) into power and energy networks as well as homes and buildings. The benefits of storage integration will be demonstrated with three demonstrators in Portugal, UK and Germany. Évora (Portugal) will demonstrate storage-enabled power flow, power quality control and grid resilience/robustness in (predominantly low-voltage) power distribution networks – under the assumption that these networks are „weak“ and potentially unreliable. Nottingham (UK) will focus on storage-enabled energy management and energy market participation of buildings (homes) and communities – under the assumption that the grid is „strong“ (so, with no or little restrictions from the grid). Nuremberg (Germany) will focus on multi-modal energy storage in larger buildings, considering thermal storage, CHP, and different energy vectors (electricity, gas). An important aspect of the project is about how to connect the local storage capacity with the energy markets in a way that results in sustainable business models for small scale storage deployment, especially in buildings and communities. SENSIBLE will also conduct life cycle analyses and assess the socio-economic impact of small-scale storage integrated in buildings distribution networks. By integrating different storage technologies into local energy grids as well as homes and buildings, and by connecting these storage facilities to the energy markets, the project SENSIBLE will have a significant impact on local energy flows in energy grids as well as on the energy utilization in buildings and communities. The impacts range from increased self-sufficiency, power quality and network stability all the way to sustainable business models for local energy generation and storage.