Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CRETE VALLEY (Crete Renewable Energy Valley)
Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-02-28
The CRETE VALLEY project addresses the need for accelerating Europe's energy transition through an innovative model of decentralised renewable energy systems, known as a Renewable Energy Valley (REV). Focusing on the island of Crete, the project reflects broader EU ambitions to shift from a centralised, fossil-fuel-dependent energy system toward a decentralised, citizen-driven, renewable-based energy landscape. The central objective of CRETE VALLEY is to establish the Crete Renewable Energy Valley 'Living Lab' (Crete REV-Lab) as a real-life innovation ecosystem integrating technological advancement and social innovation. The Crete Rev-Lab consists of four Community Energy Labs (CELs), each tailored to local energy contexts, fostering the deployment of multiple renewable energy carriers while leveraging cutting-edge technologies. What makes this initiative distinct is its comprehensive and participatory approach. By incorporating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) principles, the project aligns technological development with inclusive governance, energy justice, and behavioural insights. The REV-Lab serves as both a testbed and a catalyst, enabling citizen co-creation, business innovation, and the co-design of policies that reflect local needs. CRETE VALLEY not only aims to produce measurable local impacts but also sets a replicable framework for REVs across Europe. Its strategic importance is underscored by integration with EU-level initiatives and its ambition to seed future REVs via the REV Leadership Programme. By uniting advanced technology with participatory governance and inclusive social processes, CRETE VALLEY seeks to create a scalable, citizen-led energy transformation model that responds to the EU’s energy resilience, decarbonisation, and regional equity objectives.
Since its launch, CRETE VALLEY has made significant technical and scientific progress across multiple work packages, laying the foundation for a fully operational REV in Crete. Central to this effort has been the establishment of the REV-Lab and the CELs through a co-creation process guided by SSH frameworks. Key achievements include the development of open-source decision-support tools for energy planning, incorporating multi-energy system optimisation and user-centric design. These tools include computational modules, visual applications (augmented reality) and a REV Readiness Assessment Toolkit, which will later on be integrated into the Crete Valley Decision support tool (DST) for REV planning. The project has also advanced with the initial version of the Crete Valley Digital Twin, which integrates consumer data, forecasting models, and operational analytics. By M15, 15 novel analytics techniques had been developed, improving energy forecasting models, with further enhancement expected. On the data front, CRETE VALLEY has implemented semantic models and open APIs aligned with Energy Data Space (EDS) principles to ensure trusted, sovereign, and interoperable data sharing. Preparations for deploying IDSA-compliant connectors and smart contracts for demand response are underway. Finally, the project has begun integrating PV, wind, biogas, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen technologies across CELs and initiated modelling for sectoral coupling with non-energy domains like tourism and agriculture. These technical milestones mark strong momentum toward the full deployment and validation of the REV concept.
CRETE VALLEY has delivered early results that surpass the current state of the art in renewable energy planning, citizen engagement, and digital energy systems. Its REV model goes beyond traditional technical demonstrations by integrating Social, Technological and Organisational innovation. The Crete REV-Lab is combining a robust arsenal of technological assets with active citizen co-creation. The Digital Twin, designed for multi-carrier systems, uses advanced forecasting and cloud-based analytics, improving energy accuracy and enabling real-time grid management. Novel peer-to-peer tokenised energy marketplaces are being tested, using blockchain to reduce transaction costs and support user incentives. On the social side, CRETE VALLEY’s SSH-based methodology delivers a tailored engagement model using personas, segmentation algorithms, and co-creation loops. These approaches, along with multi-dimensional incentives will enhance trust, improve social acceptability, and ensure just transition pathways. To ensure uptake and scalability, key needs have been identified: alignment with evolving EU data and energy standards, regulatory support for energy communities, and tools for business model replication. Continued access to finance, especially for small stakeholders, and IPR support for innovative services will be critical. The project also contributes to market readiness through its Follower Communities, designed to validate replication, and through a dedicated REV Leadership Programme.