Demand Response - Residential Innovation for a Sustainable Energy system

Project Information

DR-RISE

Grant agreement ID: 101104154

DOI

10.3030/101104154

EC signature date 25 April 2023

Start date 1 June 2023

End date 29 February 2028

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 7 045 815,00

EU contribution

€ 5 894 433,75

Coordinated by

IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AIE
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DR-RISE (Demand Response - Residential Innovation for a Sustainable Energy system)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Due to the current energy crisis, the EU is reaching a critical point in the energy transition with the Clean Energy Package. Residential demand response (DR) is a promising framework whose potential is completely untapped nowadays. DR-RISE's main objective is to demonstrate the benefits of DR in the residential sector, not only for the end-consumers but also for the overall energy system and the actors involved. We will offer a holistic set of tools and services with a twofold objective: increase energy efficiency via optimal management and demonstrate the benefits (economic, environmental and social) of DR. The platform will be demonstrated in three different EU countries, focusing on gathering the most diverse environments (e.g. pre-existing energy communities, smart villages, urban blocks of flats, low-income households, etc.). Our approach is completely aligned with the EU's vision to place the citizens at the heart of the solution and empower them so that they can make self-aware decisions. Furthermore, we have developed a methodology around a strong social component that includes a significant co-design process of the tools with the end-consumers, considering vulnerable groups to provide a completely inclusive solution. Enabling residential DR will have significant impacts for the end-consumers such as improved energy efficiency, increased energy flexibility and reduction of energy costs. A first iteration in the pilots will be deployed to assess the DR benefits, including the minimum required devices to do so. Then, building on the previous results, we will iterate a second time by including new hardware and DR approaches to compare the outcomes with the previous baseline. This two-phased methodology will allow us to take corrective measures if needed and assess the potential benefits of multiple sensors and control devices. The platform will, therefore, reach TRL7/8 by project completion.

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

The DR-RISE project began by conducting a comprehensive analysis of residential DR through three lenses: technical, socioeconomic and systemic. This analysis provided a multidimensional understanding of the requirements and set the baseline for the development of the DR-RISE solution.

Work related to the involvement of the end-users in the pilots has started. A comprehensive survey was performed, aiming to understand the behaviour and knowledge of the end-consumers regarding energy and DR aspects. This survey laid the foundation for the ensuing co-creation workshops with them, effectively planning what to include in each session and how to frame the content to achieve valuable feedback.

The results from the surveys, together with the co-creation workshops, were invaluable to develop multiple parts of the overall solution. The whole pipeline of the DR-RISE solution was framed reconciling these insights with the local and European regulations and the latest technical developments in the field. The DR-RISE application UI and the XAI implementation significantly benefited from these sessions, where the end-users provided direct feedback that has been integrated to fulfil expectations and functionality.

The whole architecture for the DR-RISE solution is now completely defined and will be deployed in the pilots in the upcoming months. The solution is based on a two-level optimisation framework, where the lower level is responsible for optimal energy flow management, including implicit DR, while the upper level manages the aggregated flexibility to provide explicit DR. The whole platform has been built with the principles of security- and privacy-by-design from the inception.

At pilot level, the necessary hardware to operate has been installed in the households of the users willing to participate and engage in DR strategies. In the upcoming months, the deployed devices will be connected, which will mark the beginning of the demonstration phase, where the DR-RISE solution will be teste in real-world scenarios.

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)

The DR-RISE project has achieved significant results in its first 18 months, laying the foundation for the development of innovative DR solutions that engage end-users and optimise energy usage.

First of all, DR-RISE implements a technological solution suited for optimising the energy flows within a household. A two-level architecture has been developed to ensure that the needs of both the end-consumers as well as other agents such as aggregators and TSOs/DSOs are considered, therefore gaining a global perspective. Furthermore, the objective function to optimise is context-dependent, i.e. it will slightly change according to the end-user’s assets, schedule and desired comfort level.

Given that the end-users are considered the centrepiece of the solution, multiple efforts have been taken to foster participation and engagement. Many workshops have been performed, where the end-users are presented the DR-RISE solution, and they can provide feedback and voice their internal concerns. This complete transparency has increased their trust and understanding of how the energy market and DR work, making them eager to try the whole solution as a result.

Last but not least, the two-level architecture implemented also has the benefit of intrinsic privacy for the end-users. The modularity allows to minimise the amount of information that needs to be shared with utility companies, providing only the available flexibility of each user. However, it is important to note that, while this functionality is possible, the regulation of each Member State determines ultimately what information must be shared with these market agents.

During the following RP, the focus will shift to demonstrating the results by assessing the first version of the solution in real-world scenarios.

As for key needs to ensure further uptake and success, the following have been identified:
• Further research on a techno-economic level to determine which devices and DR approaches are most beneficial based on the end-user needs.
• Access to energy markets. In some Member States, DR is not even available, and in others, it is limited to industrial or commercial players.
• Supportive regulatory framework. For example, TSO’s baselines for residential DR are rare. Furthermore, this regulatory framework needs to be aligned with a fair energy democracy.

DR-RISE Consortium