REplicable, interoperable, cross-sector solutions and Energy services for demand side FLEXibility markets

Project Information

REEFLEX

Grant agreement ID: 101096192

DOI

10.3030/101096192

EC signature date 13 December 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 9 827 168,30

EU contribution

€ 8 002 111,00

Coordinated by

FUNDACION CIRCE CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS Y CONSUMOS ENERGETICOS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REEFLEX (REplicable, interoperable, cross-sector solutions and Energy services for demand side FLEXibility markets)

Reporting period: 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The future of electric systems is changing, driven by the spread of distributed energy resources (DERs), an increase in energy demand and the accelerating deployment of renewable energy sources. This shift towards a more decentralized energy landscape presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in terms of grid management. Distribution System Operators (DSOs) have to integrate these diverse and intermittent energy sources while maintaining grid stability. To meet these demands, there is a huge need to develop advanced technologies and solutions that can support DSOs in effectively managing the grid and ensuring a seamless transition to a more sustainable energy future. Flexibility emerges as a key solution. The increasing role of new prosumers combined with new technological capabilities, offers significant potential for enhancing grid flexibility. However, harnessing this potential presents many challenges.
The REEFLEX project is designed to address these challenges by developing a set of tools and services that enable all types of flexibility providers, from small residential prosumers to large industrial consumers, to participate in flexibility markets. Creating an interoperable platform that connects different stakeholders and facilitates seamless data exchange, REEFLEX aims to reduce the barriers to market entry and provide a pathway for aggregators to manage and optimize the flexibility of diverse prosumer assets. This approach not only empowers prosumers but also supports DSOs in maintaining grid stability in a more decentralized and complex energy environment.
To ensure the effectiveness and replicability of the solutions, REEFLEX will conduct extensive demonstration across four main sites (Spain, Greece, Switzerland and Bulgaria). These demonstrations will provide valuable insights into how the developed technologies and services can be adapted and scaled across different contexts. Furthermore, to achieve broader impact and ensure the adaptability of its solutions, REEFLEX will extend its reach through replication efforts in three additional countries: Turkey, Portugal and Denmark.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

REEFLEX’s main scope is to develop a set of viable interoperable solutions and services that increase the participation of energy consumers in demand side flexibility (DSF) markets. Additionally, it will:
• Develop a catalogue of bespoke flexibility services and interoperable tools for specific consumer groups.
• Develop a services central platform and energy marketplace, reducing entry barriers and transaction cost
• Unify technical, sustainability, environmental, economic, and social parameters, ensuring that privacy, cybersecurity and data management issues are properly managed.
• Carry out a demonstration program up to TRL7 in 4 main demonstration sites with cross-replication covering different energy vectors.
• Explore full replication potential of solutions considering cost-benefit analysis in 3 additional replicators.
In this period, the work has reached some important achievements, although they are not final project results, they are fundamental for the next steps of the project:
• The demonstrators have been thoroughly analysed, mapping existing equipment and identifying needs for participation in the project (T2.1 / D2.5). The possibilities for manageability and potential practical or legal limitations have also been assessed.
• The use cases and business cases have been defined in depth. Together, with comprehensive interviews conducted with potential users, user requirements have been established (T2.2 / D2.2) which, after significant technical work, have been converted into technical requirements (T2.5).
• The project's evaluation framework has been established, including tools and results of REEFLEX through an extensive list of KPIs and PMV methodology (T2.3 / D2.1).
• The project's cybersecurity framework has been defined (T2.4 / D2.3).
• The project architecture has been determined, including the functionalities of the tools to be developed and the information to be exchanged between tools. This may be the most important partial result of the project so far (T2.5 / D2.4).
• First version of key algorithms and developments: NILM (T3.4 / D3.1) algorithms, Asset flexibility categorization (T3.4 / D3.1) optimal management (T3.3 / D3.1) Gateways (T3.1) and Battery Energy Storage Systems – BESS (T3.2) platform development (WP4) and reusable data analytics (T4.2) DSO Flexibility Needs Calculator (T5.3) flexibility potential calculation and aggregation / disaggregation tools, optimal market selection tools (T4.3)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

As REEFLEX is still in its early stages, no concrete results beyond the state of the art can yet be presented. However, the project is actively working on several important developments that are poised to make significant advancements in the field of flexibility markets. As indicated previously, key ongoing developments include Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM), optimal management tools, battery energy storage systems (BESS), smart gateways, data platform and reusable data analytics, asset flexibility catalogue, flexibility potential calculation and aggregation / disaggregation tools, optimal market selection tool, DSO flexibility needs calculator, flexibility services and products…
To ensure the successful achievement of project results, it will be essential to have access to information and manageable assets within the demonstrators. For this reason, all partners participated in Task 2.1 to thoroughly study the demonstrators and identify their potential needs. In line with this, work has also begun on Task 6.1 which focuses on the planning of the demonstration phase, including the installation of equipment and other critical activities. It will be important to verify the interoperability and replicability of the main developments in the replicators, as well as to carry out significant work in the final phases of the project related to the commercial exploitation of the results