Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DE-RISK (DE-RISK the adoption of Local Flexibility Markets to unlock the safe and reliable mass deployment of Renewable Energy Systems)
Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-09-30
The EU-funded DE-RISK project, with a duration of 3-years, aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of LFMs to support a safe and reliable integration of RES into the electric grid. DE-RISK targets the untapped potential of LFMs in the distribution grid, where residential and tertiary buildings represent 70% of Demand Response (DR) potential, by minimizing the investments and implementation risk.
The project aims to de-risk the adoption of LFMs by addressing several key objectives:
• Boosting End-User Participation: Through innovative behavioral analysis, DE-RISK will understand and meet end-users' needs, increasing their trust and encouraging their active involvement in LFMs.
• Deploying Digital Twins: A low-cost automated platform will be used to assess and unlock flexibility potential in four case studies across diverse EU regions.
• Regulatory Bridging and Roadmapping: The project will navigate different regulatory frameworks to support LFM adoption and develop strategic roadmaps.
• Innovative Business Models and Financing: Sustainable business models and financing mechanisms, such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending, will be developed to minimize investment risks and ensure long-term viability.
DE-RISK will use digital twins for buildings, citizens, and grids to bridge the gap between simulation and real implementation, mitigating technical risks. Additionally, it will develop innovative business models to ensure fairness and sustainability, and create regulatory recommendations for clear and transparent LFM adoption.
DE-RISK is structured in six WPs:
WP1: PM and Coordination
WP2: Consumer Journey in the Local Flexibility Market
WP3: Regulatory, Policy, Financial state of the art analysis
WP4: Case study preparation, implementation and validation
WP5: Local Flexibility business models, exploitation and replication
WP6: Wide and high impact Communication, Dissemination and market engagement
The project aims to de-risk the adoption of LFMs by addressing several key objectives:
• Boosting End-User Participation: Through innovative behavioral analysis, DE-RISK will understand and meet end-users' needs, increasing their trust and encouraging their active involvement in LFMs.
• Deploying Digital Twins: A low-cost automated platform will be used to assess and unlock flexibility potential in four case studies across diverse EU regions.
• Regulatory Bridging and Roadmapping: The project will navigate different regulatory frameworks to support LFM adoption and develop strategic roadmaps.
• Innovative Business Models and Financing: Sustainable business models and financing mechanisms, such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending, will be developed to minimize investment risks and ensure long-term viability.
DE-RISK will use digital twins for buildings, citizens, and grids to bridge the gap between simulation and real implementation, mitigating technical risks. Additionally, it will develop innovative business models to ensure fairness and sustainability, and create regulatory recommendations for clear and transparent LFM adoption.
DE-RISK is structured in six WPs:
WP1: PM and Coordination
WP2: Consumer Journey in the Local Flexibility Market
WP3: Regulatory, Policy, Financial state of the art analysis
WP4: Case study preparation, implementation and validation
WP5: Local Flexibility business models, exploitation and replication
WP6: Wide and high impact Communication, Dissemination and market engagement
Throughout the project, DE-RISK successfully advanced its core objective of enabling the safe and reliable large-scale deployment of Renewable Energy Systems through the development, testing, and validation of Local Flexibility Markets (LFMs). During the first reporting period (M1–M18), the Consortium completed key mid-term milestones, including consumer behaviour modelling (WP2), regulatory and financing analyses (WP3), and pilot characterisation and simulation frameworks (WP4). These efforts provided the foundation for LFM implementation, stakeholder engagement, and market-driven flexibility solutions.
In the second reporting period, the project delivered substantial technical progress and consolidated its results. WP2 refined behaviour modelling through longitudinal analysis and published high-impact scientific outputs. WP3 launched an innovative crowdlending campaign and finalised the 10-country LFM Policy & Regulatory Roadmap, supporting future market design and investment. WP4 operationalised and tested the DE-RISK flexibility platform across four pilot sites through demand response trials, community engagement activities, and comprehensive multi-criteria benchmarking of technical, social, and economic performance. WP5 completed the business models and the Scalability and Replicability Analysis, providing a full strategic roadmap for the uptake of the project’s eight key Exploitable Results.
By the end of the action, DE-RISK had submitted 27 deliverables, completed all tasks and milestones, and demonstrated the technical feasibility and real-world value of LFMs. The project’s outcomes include validated flexibility solutions, advanced behavioural insights, regulatory and financial tools, and market-ready business models—together offering a coherent framework to accelerate LFM deployment across Europe.
In the second reporting period, the project delivered substantial technical progress and consolidated its results. WP2 refined behaviour modelling through longitudinal analysis and published high-impact scientific outputs. WP3 launched an innovative crowdlending campaign and finalised the 10-country LFM Policy & Regulatory Roadmap, supporting future market design and investment. WP4 operationalised and tested the DE-RISK flexibility platform across four pilot sites through demand response trials, community engagement activities, and comprehensive multi-criteria benchmarking of technical, social, and economic performance. WP5 completed the business models and the Scalability and Replicability Analysis, providing a full strategic roadmap for the uptake of the project’s eight key Exploitable Results.
By the end of the action, DE-RISK had submitted 27 deliverables, completed all tasks and milestones, and demonstrated the technical feasibility and real-world value of LFMs. The project’s outcomes include validated flexibility solutions, advanced behavioural insights, regulatory and financial tools, and market-ready business models—together offering a coherent framework to accelerate LFM deployment across Europe.
DE-RISK aims to enhance the flexibility of the EU's distribution grid, unlocking up to 100 GW of flexibility by 2030 to increase the hosting capacity of renewable energy sources by 25%. The project provides policy and regulatory recommendations for ten EU countries, supporting the market uptake of renewable energy systems (RES) and local flexibility markets (LFMs). A digital twin aggregation platform, paired with a multi-sided business model and innovative financial schemes, will facilitate the integration of RES. DE-RISK also focuses on increasing user participation by 50% through customer behavior change strategies. The project's multidisciplinary approach covers social acceptance, technology, business, and regulatory aspects, ensuring comprehensive and effective outcomes. DE-RISK's consortium includes a full value chain of end-users, technology providers, consultants, and research organizations, aiming for seamless market integration and scalability. Dissemination activities involve engaging a stakeholder community of over 200 members for targeted outreach, fostering early adoption and broad impact. Watch and IPR activities ensure strong market positioning for project results, promoting sector awareness, technology, and patent scouting for effective market entry.