Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENFLATE (ENabling FLexibility provision by all Actors and sectors through markets and digital TEchnologies)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2023-12-31
The European Commission’s policy framework seeks to decarbonise the energy system, encouraging the electrification of heat and transport, as well as connecting more clean but intermittent generation. To accommodate the impact of the increase in electricity demand from the electrification of end uses, like transport and home heating, and the widespread rollout of solar PV and wind, deploying digital solutions that enable the provision of flexibility to the grid by different energy sectors and facilitate demand response is needed. ENFLATE is developing a collaborative platform of tools, that builds upon existing solutions, enabling consumer-driven business models for energy services, valorising their multi-vector flexibility potential and integrating them with other non-energy services. These solutions will be deployed in 6 demonstration campaigns across 5 countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) demonstrating (i) consumer-centric flexibility market designs; (ii) TSO-DSO-consumer coordination for cross-sector flexibility provision; and (iii) non-energy services for healthcare and mobility. Moreover, ENFLATE proposes business models that engage consumers, prosumers, aggregators, owners of assets in providing flexibility to the energy system in a truly collaborative approach for a socially fair energy transformation.
The wide uptake of ENFLATE solutions will lead to the increase of investments and reduction of the need for grid upgrades from system operators, the reduction of carbon footprint and RES curtailment, the reduction of voltage abnormalities and grid congestions, the increase of activated flexibility and to higher levels of citizen engagement through healthcare and life-assisted at home services.
The wide uptake of ENFLATE solutions will lead to the increase of investments and reduction of the need for grid upgrades from system operators, the reduction of carbon footprint and RES curtailment, the reduction of voltage abnormalities and grid congestions, the increase of activated flexibility and to higher levels of citizen engagement through healthcare and life-assisted at home services.
During the 1st reporting period, the project’s activities focused on studying the relevant EU regulatory frameworks, analysing both commercial and more innovative flexibility markets and services designs to form the services and markets designs that will be demonstrated within the project and to propose business models for incentivizing residential consumers and DER assets’ owners to participate in flexibility provision schemes. Additionally, the necessary preparations for the upcoming demonstrations of the ENFLATE software toolbox and IT platform were carried out with main achievements so far including: (i) the first release of the ENFLATE Platform Data Management Layer architecture and the establishment of ENFLATE data space connector’s API, (ii) the formulation of the use cases to be tested in each pilot site, and (iii) the first prototypes of the data-driven digital tools that are developed in the context of the project.
The initial results of the project that go beyond the state of the art are focusing on the following innovative areas (IAs):
IA#1 – Platforms for flexibility valorisation: The architecture of ENFLATE interoperable platform was released. This platform is able to connect to already existing platforms (developed in previous H2020 projects) following the guidelines set by the BRIDGE initiative. The ENFLATE platform also utilizes flexibility from different energy carriers, while providing cross-energy services to consumers in order to enhance health and mobility.
IA#2 – Market designs exploiting flexibility existing at the edge of the grid: Building upon the knowledge gained in previous R&I projects, ENFLATE defined the market designs and specified the required data exchange interfaces for setting up two flexibility marketplaces: an integrated marketplace for flexibility and a blockchain-based decentralized flexibility marketplace for small-scale DERs.
IA#3 – Consumer-centric cross-sector energy flexibility services: The regulatory landscape in the demonstration countries and rest European countries was examined, identifying the barriers hindering cross-sector integration in flexibility provision. A ‘state of play’ matrix was created showcasing the steps needed to be taken to unleash the full flexibility potential of end-consumers. The development of a platform that optimizes the electricity consumption of building thermal loads in a multi-energy district was initiated. An energy systems optimization model structure was developed, while a literature review to understand flexibility in energy systems.
IA#4 – Cross-industry energy services and innovative business models: The project analysed thoroughly the business models adopted in Europe related with the ENFLATE innovations that will be demonstrated. The basis for new business models was set, with a consumer-centric approach in cooperation with TSOs, DSOs, and owners of assets.
IA#5 – Data-driven approaches to incentivize active participation of consumers in flexibility markets: ENFLATE assessed the consumer engagement approaches proposed in other R&I projects and analysed existing barriers to customer engagement in flexibility markets and mapped the characteristics of flexibility service providers that are involved in the project’s demonstration activities to design the ENFLATE consumer engagement framework. In addition, a set of non-energy services were designed with the aim to make flexibility provision more attractive for consumers.
IA#1 – Platforms for flexibility valorisation: The architecture of ENFLATE interoperable platform was released. This platform is able to connect to already existing platforms (developed in previous H2020 projects) following the guidelines set by the BRIDGE initiative. The ENFLATE platform also utilizes flexibility from different energy carriers, while providing cross-energy services to consumers in order to enhance health and mobility.
IA#2 – Market designs exploiting flexibility existing at the edge of the grid: Building upon the knowledge gained in previous R&I projects, ENFLATE defined the market designs and specified the required data exchange interfaces for setting up two flexibility marketplaces: an integrated marketplace for flexibility and a blockchain-based decentralized flexibility marketplace for small-scale DERs.
IA#3 – Consumer-centric cross-sector energy flexibility services: The regulatory landscape in the demonstration countries and rest European countries was examined, identifying the barriers hindering cross-sector integration in flexibility provision. A ‘state of play’ matrix was created showcasing the steps needed to be taken to unleash the full flexibility potential of end-consumers. The development of a platform that optimizes the electricity consumption of building thermal loads in a multi-energy district was initiated. An energy systems optimization model structure was developed, while a literature review to understand flexibility in energy systems.
IA#4 – Cross-industry energy services and innovative business models: The project analysed thoroughly the business models adopted in Europe related with the ENFLATE innovations that will be demonstrated. The basis for new business models was set, with a consumer-centric approach in cooperation with TSOs, DSOs, and owners of assets.
IA#5 – Data-driven approaches to incentivize active participation of consumers in flexibility markets: ENFLATE assessed the consumer engagement approaches proposed in other R&I projects and analysed existing barriers to customer engagement in flexibility markets and mapped the characteristics of flexibility service providers that are involved in the project’s demonstration activities to design the ENFLATE consumer engagement framework. In addition, a set of non-energy services were designed with the aim to make flexibility provision more attractive for consumers.