During the first Reporting Period, EXIGENCE accomplished significant technical milestones across its work packages. Key activities and achievements include:
• Value Network Development: The project created a generic value network for the future energy ecosystem. This network maps the relationships between various stakeholders, including service providers, users, energy suppliers, and regulatory bodies, identifying key dependencies and value flows related to energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Use Case Analysis: A comprehensive analysis of 14 relevant use cases focusing on energy and carbon measurements in ICT was conducted. These use cases cover a wide range of scenarios, from data center operations to mobile network usage, and serve as the basis for defining requirements and developing solutions within the project.
• 6G Requirements Definition: Based on the identified use cases, preliminary requirements for energy-efficient 6G systems were developed. These requirements are structured according to the 3GPP SA1 (Service Aspects & Requirements) template, facilitating their potential integration into future 6G standards.
• Ecosystem Mapping: The use cases were mapped to the future energy ecosystem, identifying stakeholders, their roles, energy dependencies, and the impact of the use cases in terms of value. This mapping exercise provides valuable insights into the economic and environmental implications of different ICT service deployment scenarios. For example, the mapping identifies the role of energy aggregators in balancing energy supply and demand in the ICT sector.
• Functional Architecture Guidelines: Initial guidelines for constructing measurement and optimization/actuation mechanisms were defined. These guidelines lay the groundwork for the development of a functional architecture that enables the assessment and reduction of energy consumption in ICT systems.
• Draft Metrics: Initial draft metrics for evaluating energy consumption and carbon footprint were defined. These metrics cover a range of parameters, including energy consumption per bit transmitted, carbon emissions per subscriber, and energy efficiency of network equipment.
• Prototyping: Initial prototype component implementation, this includes the development of software modules for energy monitoring and control, as well as the integration of these modules with existing network management platforms. The prototypes are being developed using open-source technologies and are designed to be easily adaptable to different 6G network environments.
• Incentive Mechanism Design: The project outlines novel approaches for incentive-compatible mechanisms targeting both service providers and users. These mechanisms are designed to encourage the adoption of energy-efficient practices and technologies.
