How to achieve smart household energy use
A new smart system created as part of the EU-funded ODEON(opens in new window) project is providing prosumers – people who both produce and consume energy – with the tools for smarter energy use. Called the Digital Energy Assistant, the system was developed to optimise household energy use in a way that aligns with the EU’s sustainability goals, but without sacrificing personal comfort. The Digital Energy Assistant manages household loads such as heating, cooling, laundry and electric vehicle charging by taking into account on-site renewable energy generation and storage. Designed to enhance self-consumption and energy efficiency without compromising comfort, it creates ideal operating schedules for connected devices and automatically controls them. For appliances that are manually operated, it provides timely notifications to help users make informed decisions about when and how to use them, contributing to both grid stability and improved energy efficiency at home. Beyond automated energy management, the Digital Energy Assistant – designed for remote communities – also helps raise awareness about sustainability and encourages users to adopt more energy-conscious lifestyles. An animated video(opens in new window) created by ODEON project partner ICOM introduces its benefits. The Digital Energy Assistant is just one of the tools developed by ODEON, as part of its ODEON Energy Services for Prosumers initiative. Aimed at energy prosumers, local energy communities (LECs), retailers and energy service companies, the initiative aims to promote informed and transparent participation in flexibility and energy transactions through optimally designed local flexibility markets and peer-to-peer energy trading marketplaces. Prosumers can therefore play active roles in energy markets, and LECs can operate as energy service providers or aggregators (service providers combining the energy consumption or production of multiple individuals or entities), creating new revenue and enhancing grid support.
The big picture
ODEON’s overall goal is to revolutionise Europe’s energy landscape and help drive the transition from a centralised, fossil fuel-dependent system to one that is flexible and based on renewable energy sources. This requires a smarter, more flexible grid that supports real-time responsiveness, decentralised control and active market participation. ODEON is therefore developing a cloud edge data and intelligence service platform to facilitate data, intelligence, service and market flows. Through real-time monitoring, analytics and automation, the platform helps optimise operations, enhance flexibility, and foster a more sustainable and participatory energy ecosystem. Besides empowering prosumers and LECs, ODEON’s data-driven energy solutions are also revolutionising network management. They are making it possible for distribution system operators to leverage distributed flexibility resources, such as photovoltaics and wind turbines, for ancillary services, enhancing grid resilience and cost-effectiveness. Asset management and strategic grid planning services focus on optimising the lifespan and performance of grid infrastructure while preparing for future demands. By combining data-driven intelligence, cross-sector flexibility and human-centric design, the ODEON (federated data and intelligence Orchestration & sharing for the Digital Energy transitiON) project is helping to further the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal. As Raquel Castán Vidal and Moisés Antón García of project coordinator ETRA, Spain, write in a recent ‘Enlit’ article(opens in new window): “With a growing suite of tools and services, ODEON is not just innovating grid management, it’s redefining what’s possible in the energy transition.” For more information, please see: ODEON project website(opens in new window)
