Digital tools for enhancing the uptake of digital services in the energy market

Digitalisation develops faster than the ability of society to adjust. Digital technologies are a driving force for empowering citizens in taking on an active role in the just energy transition. Increased acceptability of new digital technologies is pivotal: actions should focus on benefits of new digital services and users experience to overcome the expected friction of end-consumer on boarding, developing innovative tools for engagement and literacy. Social innovation tools and multi-disciplinary approaches and engagement of policy makers at various levels, the private sector, civil society and citizens at large are required.

Accordingly, proposed activities will address all of the following:

• Use the data real time provided by real time sensors/ Internet of Things and real time computing resulting from other sectors than energy (e.g. data economy, health, finance, security) to generate new businesses and new ways of benefiting the economy and society by developing of innovative data-driven cross-sector integrated services, solutions and products.
• Help consumers and citizens navigate the new digital technologies entering the energy market, taking into consideration the cross sectorial dimension alongside the sector-specific one, also exploring the possibility of using, among others, AI-based assistant tools.
• Trigger and support the development of a digital tool allowing citizens to visualise and access to all the energy-related data they produce and share with third parties, thus helping to exert their right to understand and control their data.
• Test the developed cross-sector services in at least 3 countries. In the selection of pilots, gender, demographic, geographic and socio-economic aspects should be duly taken into account.
• Develop and test, in at least 3 countries, a digital twin of the (household) energy consumer, making use of AI to assist the consumer (both in terms of optimising the service as well as enhancing digital energy literacy and enhancing understanding and trust of the AI used).
• The digital twin solutions should be developed and made available as Open-Source solutions, while making sure that contributors are recognised and fairly compensated, respecting well defined rules and within a network of trusted data, which guarantees security and sovereignty of data and services in an Open Source way so that the developed software is available.
• Contribute to the communication, outreach and dissemination strategy of the Communication on Digitalisation of the Energy System.

Projects are required to utilize the data exchange infrastructure that is being developed under ongoing EU-funded under Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Program.

The project is required take into account, and collaborate with, where considered necessary, existing Living Labs (e.g. EnergyVille, TomorrowLab and living labs funded entirely by EU projects as study or demonstration site) to test integrated consumer services the ongoing relevant Blueprint projects from the Erasmus + program, relevant initiatives by Digital Innovation Hubs, the European Climate Pact, EC Digital Education action plan and any other relevant initiative.

Projects are required to seek synergies with Horizon Europe instruments, including those of bottom-up nature like ERC, MSCA, EIT KICs, as well as its European partnerships.

Cooperation with activities of the Green Powered Future Mission (Pillar 3) of Mission Innovation is encouraged[[Applicants are reminded that legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions in any capacity. Please refer to the Annex B of the General Annexes of this Work Programme for further details.]].

The selected projects are expected to contribute to the BRIDGE initiative[[https://www.h2020-bridge.eu/]] actively participate to its activities and allocate up to 2% of their budgets to that end. Additional contributions to the ‘Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation’ (AIOTI) and other relevant activities (e.g. clusters of digital projects and coordinating actions) might be considered, when relevant.

Moreover, projects are expected to take into account the outcomes of the work of the Citizens and Consumers Engagement Working Group and data coming from the Consumers Empowerment Benchmark developed by the European Commission.

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.