Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GIFT (Geographical Islands FlexibiliTy)
Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-06-30
GIFT is an innovative project that aims to decarbonise the energy mix of European islands. European islands have to abide by the law of their countries that push toward a greener energy mix to comply with the European and international agreements. GIFT is willing to develop innovative systems to allow islands to integrate vast amount of renewables. Through the development of multiple innovative solutions, such as a virtual power system, energy management systems for harbours, factories, homes, better prediction of supply and demand and visualisation of those date through a GIS platform, and innovative storage systems allowing synergy between electrical, heating and transportation networks, GIFT solution increases the penetration rate of renewable energy sources into the islands’ grid, reducing their needs for diesel generation and thus decreasing the greenhouse gases emissions directly related to it. During 4 years, the partners developed and demonstrated the solutions in two lighthouse islands, in Hinnøya, Norway’s largest island and the small island of Procida in Italy and study the replicability of the solution in a Greek and Italian islands at the minimum, respectively Evia and Favignana. As the final solution should be replicable, a complementary objective to the demonstration is the replication analysis on follower islands. The scope of this analysis is to highlight the benefits, but also to unveil limitations in the solution deployment, especially when the scale increases. Lessons learnt and recommendations conclude this analysis, the results of which are important not only for the specific islands’ stakeholder but also for the general public.
GIFT addressed the energy issues on the demonstration sites in a holistic way. High energy costs on the islands mostly depend on the undesirable situations on the grid, caused mostly by the volatile supply through the renewables. In order to achieve high level of RES penetration, the grid needs to become more dynamic. We deployed several solutions for monitoring the local grid that allowed us to make real time predictions on the operational states of the grid. We used this information to construct a bid for flexibility, which allowed the island to balance the grid in real time. The central part of the project is flexibility marketplace, which allows many different prosumers to participate in a uniform way. This generalization layer allows for construction of several different business cases for participating players. With unique approaches to storage, such as multi vector and virtual storage, we demonstrate a comprehensive integrated solution of different technologies, all working together in a coordinated manner.
GIFT addressed the energy issues on the demonstration sites in a holistic way. High energy costs on the islands mostly depend on the undesirable situations on the grid, caused mostly by the volatile supply through the renewables. In order to achieve high level of RES penetration, the grid needs to become more dynamic. We deployed several solutions for monitoring the local grid that allowed us to make real time predictions on the operational states of the grid. We used this information to construct a bid for flexibility, which allowed the island to balance the grid in real time. The central part of the project is flexibility marketplace, which allows many different prosumers to participate in a uniform way. This generalization layer allows for construction of several different business cases for participating players. With unique approaches to storage, such as multi vector and virtual storage, we demonstrate a comprehensive integrated solution of different technologies, all working together in a coordinated manner.
GIFT project has consolidated a solid basis for the implementation of its solutions on the demonstration sites. Components related to Observability, Prediction and GIS Twin flow are successfully integrated with new developed Enterprise Service Bus. The partners have made progress towards the observability of the grid data to receive close to real time through sensors provided by ODI and installed by HLK. An extended integration testing among the Enterprise Service Bus, Forecasting and Observability was completed. The Elestor detailed design phase for HBr storage have been completed. The battery system build is completed and is currently under commissioning activities in the Netherlands. The Smart energy hub completed a new version prototype, named “Alpha”, and is currently used for hydrogen stacks & systems testing and qualification.
Norway demo site demonstrated use of 9 flexible and Italian demo site in Procida demonstrated 12 flexible prosumers.
Replication studies included the data collection to build the energy profiles of two follower islands. In parallel, some actions regarding communication with additional follower islands were initiated and organized. As a results, a total number of 15 follower islands provided technical details that could be used in the replicability and scalability analysis.
GIFT results were disseminated through social media, the project website, partners’ participation in events, and the organisation of a replication board with 92 participants. 12 KERs were identified, and individual exploitation & business strategy were developed for the resuslts, as well as a strategy for the integrated GIFT solutions.
Overview of results :
* Researched, developed and deployed 12 new technologies on demo sites (Grid observability, Prediction system, Data analytics and visualization, Digital twin, Enterprise service bus, Virtual power system, Flex agent, Harbour EMS, EV charging EMS, Factory EMS, Hbr storage, Smart energy hub storage)
* Harmonized integration and trading flexibility with FlexOffer format and protocol
* Completely automated process to trade with flexibility
* Improved machine learning algorithms for grid forecast and modelling
* Obtained investment for several millions € by some GIFT SME partners
* Strategic cooperations with „big players“ on energy market
* Collaboration between the DSO and the municipality and spin-off start-up was created
* Competing on public tenders for new flexibility services
* Empowering local actors to collectively address energy transition targets and encourage municipalities to implement energy communities
* Increase the cooperation between local/regional authorities and citizens
Norway demo site demonstrated use of 9 flexible and Italian demo site in Procida demonstrated 12 flexible prosumers.
Replication studies included the data collection to build the energy profiles of two follower islands. In parallel, some actions regarding communication with additional follower islands were initiated and organized. As a results, a total number of 15 follower islands provided technical details that could be used in the replicability and scalability analysis.
GIFT results were disseminated through social media, the project website, partners’ participation in events, and the organisation of a replication board with 92 participants. 12 KERs were identified, and individual exploitation & business strategy were developed for the resuslts, as well as a strategy for the integrated GIFT solutions.
Overview of results :
* Researched, developed and deployed 12 new technologies on demo sites (Grid observability, Prediction system, Data analytics and visualization, Digital twin, Enterprise service bus, Virtual power system, Flex agent, Harbour EMS, EV charging EMS, Factory EMS, Hbr storage, Smart energy hub storage)
* Harmonized integration and trading flexibility with FlexOffer format and protocol
* Completely automated process to trade with flexibility
* Improved machine learning algorithms for grid forecast and modelling
* Obtained investment for several millions € by some GIFT SME partners
* Strategic cooperations with „big players“ on energy market
* Collaboration between the DSO and the municipality and spin-off start-up was created
* Competing on public tenders for new flexibility services
* Empowering local actors to collectively address energy transition targets and encourage municipalities to implement energy communities
* Increase the cooperation between local/regional authorities and citizens
The GIFT project relies on the development of innovative solutions for the VPS, various Energy Management Systems, Enterprise Service Bus, Grid Observability system, Digital twin, hydrogen energy storage and HBr battery. The GIS-based digital twin, together with other GIFT's tools, serves as a centralized "one-shop" solution, streamlining communication within end-user organizations and among various stakeholders. In most cases the solutions are tailored to specific requirements and are designed for specific use cases, which results in limited operational capacity and in lack of interoperability and integration ability with other systems. GIFT proposes the development of an innovative and standards’-based Enterprise Services Bus (ESB) that facilitated the integration and interplay among the various different systems that synthesize the IT ecosystem of an Energy Island. For the VPS, most of the existing solutions to address demand response utilise so-called “curtailment” methods, which means switching customers on or off, based on requirements on the grid / market. Such systems are often met with resistance, since they are invasive by nature – they interrupt processes and/or comfort. To address this issue, GIFT places the prosumer at the centre. Each participating party, whether it is prosumer with flexible loads, generator or storage is generalized using Flex-Offer protocol.
The HBr flow battery targets to enable electric energy storage at a cost level that presently cannot be reached by any storage solution available on the market (50 €/MWh). Through such innovations, the GIFT project developed energy systems that are cheaper than diesel generation, and enhance autonomy for islands that are grid connected to the mainland. So far, the project’s impact is mainly a socio-economic impact on the consumers that have been contacted on the demonstration islands: the aim is to turn these consumers into active prosumers.
The HBr flow battery targets to enable electric energy storage at a cost level that presently cannot be reached by any storage solution available on the market (50 €/MWh). Through such innovations, the GIFT project developed energy systems that are cheaper than diesel generation, and enhance autonomy for islands that are grid connected to the mainland. So far, the project’s impact is mainly a socio-economic impact on the consumers that have been contacted on the demonstration islands: the aim is to turn these consumers into active prosumers.