Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ERIGrid 2.0 (European Research Infrastructure supporting Smart Grid and Smart Energy Systems Research, Technology Development, Validation and Roll Out – Second Edition)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-03-31
A driving force for the realization of a sustainable energy supply in Europe is the integration of renewable energy sources. Due to their stochastic generation behaviour, energy utilities and network operators are confronted with a more complex operation of the underlying power grids. Additionally, the system's operation needs adaptation due to technology developments, partly controllable loads, integration with other energy sources, changing regulatory rules, and market liberalization. Sophisticated design approaches, proper operational concepts, and intelligent automation will provide the basis to turn the existing power system into an intelligent entity, a so-called smart grid. Nowadays, the digitalization of smart grids and smart energy systems (electricity, gas, heat, etc.) plays a dominant role and points the way towards innovation.
While reaping the benefits that come along with those intelligent behaviours, it is expected that system-level testing will play a significantly larger role in the development and roll-out of future solutions and technologies. Validation approaches, concepts, and corresponding tools for smart grids and smart energy systems are still not mature enough for effective usage. A key element in this context is the human factor as well as educated professionals, engineers, and researchers understanding the needs and methods for complex smart grids and energy systems validation in a multi-domain and cyber-physical manner. This is currently missing. Especially, broader coverages of access possibilities to suitable testing infrastructures, the corresponding research and innovation services, and the operation of cross-sectoral infrastructures are required.
Based on the main achievements and results of the H2020 ERIGrid project, ERIGrid 2.0 enlarges the Research Infrastructure (RI) possibilities and corresponding research services and tools towards smart energy networks with the electric power grid as the main backbone. Therefore, the main goal of ERIGrid 2.0 is to support research, technology development, and innovation of smart grid and energy systems approaches, concepts, and solutions in Europe considering a holistic and cyber-physical systems-based approach. System-level support and education for industrial and academic researchers in the power and energy systems sector are also provided to foster future innovation.
The scope of the ERIGrid 2.0 advanced community – formed by 20 European research and innovation institutions across 13 different countries – is to provide an integrated European smart grids and energy systems RI to:
• Strengthen the position as a single point of reference promoting research, technology development, and innovation on all aspects of smart grids, smart energy systems, and integration of renewables,
• Develop a coordinated and integrated approach using the partners’ expertise and infrastructures more effectively, adding value to research projects and investments at all levels, and promoting European leadership in smart energy systems and integration of renewables,
• Facilitate a wider sharing of knowledge, research services, and corresponding tools/techniques across fields and between academia and industry all over Europe,
• Provide European researchers with access to first-class and state-of-the-art research facilities and simulation tools to conduct smart energy systems and integration of renewables research from a systems point of view, and
• Accelerate pre-normative research and promote the rapid transfer of research results into industrial-related standards and rules to support future smart grid and energy systems development, validation, and roll-out.
While reaping the benefits that come along with those intelligent behaviours, it is expected that system-level testing will play a significantly larger role in the development and roll-out of future solutions and technologies. Validation approaches, concepts, and corresponding tools for smart grids and smart energy systems are still not mature enough for effective usage. A key element in this context is the human factor as well as educated professionals, engineers, and researchers understanding the needs and methods for complex smart grids and energy systems validation in a multi-domain and cyber-physical manner. This is currently missing. Especially, broader coverages of access possibilities to suitable testing infrastructures, the corresponding research and innovation services, and the operation of cross-sectoral infrastructures are required.
Based on the main achievements and results of the H2020 ERIGrid project, ERIGrid 2.0 enlarges the Research Infrastructure (RI) possibilities and corresponding research services and tools towards smart energy networks with the electric power grid as the main backbone. Therefore, the main goal of ERIGrid 2.0 is to support research, technology development, and innovation of smart grid and energy systems approaches, concepts, and solutions in Europe considering a holistic and cyber-physical systems-based approach. System-level support and education for industrial and academic researchers in the power and energy systems sector are also provided to foster future innovation.
The scope of the ERIGrid 2.0 advanced community – formed by 20 European research and innovation institutions across 13 different countries – is to provide an integrated European smart grids and energy systems RI to:
• Strengthen the position as a single point of reference promoting research, technology development, and innovation on all aspects of smart grids, smart energy systems, and integration of renewables,
• Develop a coordinated and integrated approach using the partners’ expertise and infrastructures more effectively, adding value to research projects and investments at all levels, and promoting European leadership in smart energy systems and integration of renewables,
• Facilitate a wider sharing of knowledge, research services, and corresponding tools/techniques across fields and between academia and industry all over Europe,
• Provide European researchers with access to first-class and state-of-the-art research facilities and simulation tools to conduct smart energy systems and integration of renewables research from a systems point of view, and
• Accelerate pre-normative research and promote the rapid transfer of research results into industrial-related standards and rules to support future smart grid and energy systems development, validation, and roll-out.
The first project period was dedicated to setting up the integrated, Pan-European smart grid and energy systems RI to achieve the overall project objectives. The focus during the second period was on the deepening of networking, access, and joint research activities. Therefore, the following main achievements were made:
Networking Activities
• Several activities have been carried out with other RIs on European and international levels including the DERlab network, the JP ERA-Net SES Living Lab and Testbed Network, and the IEA ISGAN/SIRFN lab network. Project-related achievements and experiences have been shared with the members of those groups.
• Regularly, lessons learned and experiences with RI-related topics are shared among the project partners.
• The provision of inputs to the harmonization of real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) approaches to international working groups (IEEE P2004, CIGRE C6.36 etc.) have been coordinated.
• Open Access tools for the validation and testing of smart grids and energy systems have been updated (incl. a more user-friendly website for test cases).
• Several educational/training events and materials have been delivered (incl. the first version of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)).
• Moreover, staff exchanges between the partners have been carried out.
• A set of 6 different functional scenarios and corresponding 25 test cases were identified, documented, and made publicly available.
Access Activities
• Eight different calls for TA user projects were implemented and overall, around 100 proposals were received and evaluated by the User Selection Panel (USP).
• Several TA user projects were completed.
• Serval VA services were made available to external users.
Joint Research Activities
• Related to the enhancement of system validation methods, three different reference benchmark scenarios were developed covering the main technological areas for the practical comparison of new approaches and tools in the energy domain.
• Improvement and extension of co-simulation and real-time HIL concepts were performed.
• The basic architecture and corresponding services of the laboratory middleware were defined and documented.
• The formulation of a detailed software design and architecture for the middleware was achieved.
• Development of a tool-agnostic Universal Application Programming Interface (uAPI) for the middleware was carried out allowing easier multi-RI experiments by using various lab-coupling solutions.
• Furthermore, there is ongoing development of an automated tool for the configuration of data exchanges in multi-RI experiments.
Networking Activities
• Several activities have been carried out with other RIs on European and international levels including the DERlab network, the JP ERA-Net SES Living Lab and Testbed Network, and the IEA ISGAN/SIRFN lab network. Project-related achievements and experiences have been shared with the members of those groups.
• Regularly, lessons learned and experiences with RI-related topics are shared among the project partners.
• The provision of inputs to the harmonization of real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) approaches to international working groups (IEEE P2004, CIGRE C6.36 etc.) have been coordinated.
• Open Access tools for the validation and testing of smart grids and energy systems have been updated (incl. a more user-friendly website for test cases).
• Several educational/training events and materials have been delivered (incl. the first version of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)).
• Moreover, staff exchanges between the partners have been carried out.
• A set of 6 different functional scenarios and corresponding 25 test cases were identified, documented, and made publicly available.
Access Activities
• Eight different calls for TA user projects were implemented and overall, around 100 proposals were received and evaluated by the User Selection Panel (USP).
• Several TA user projects were completed.
• Serval VA services were made available to external users.
Joint Research Activities
• Related to the enhancement of system validation methods, three different reference benchmark scenarios were developed covering the main technological areas for the practical comparison of new approaches and tools in the energy domain.
• Improvement and extension of co-simulation and real-time HIL concepts were performed.
• The basic architecture and corresponding services of the laboratory middleware were defined and documented.
• The formulation of a detailed software design and architecture for the middleware was achieved.
• Development of a tool-agnostic Universal Application Programming Interface (uAPI) for the middleware was carried out allowing easier multi-RI experiments by using various lab-coupling solutions.
• Furthermore, there is ongoing development of an automated tool for the configuration of data exchanges in multi-RI experiments.
The current transformation and digitalization of the energy infrastructure while ensuring the security of supply require new approaches for the conversion, storage, and distribution of energy in different areas. The project opens the doors to Europe's best infrastructures for researchers and engineers to advance the development and validation of new concepts and approaches for the integrated energy system of the future. They will have free physical and virtual access to perform their research activities between April 2020 and September 2024.
Other important contributions of the project are training for qualified employees of labs and infrastructure facilities. ERIGrid 2.0 also enhances the state-of-the-art in simulation and lab-based testing by improving co-simulation and real-time HIL approaches as well as the coupling of different laboratory environments. The main findings and educational materials developed in the project will be made available at open access platforms to be at the disposal of industrial companies, members of the research community, and the general public.
Other important contributions of the project are training for qualified employees of labs and infrastructure facilities. ERIGrid 2.0 also enhances the state-of-the-art in simulation and lab-based testing by improving co-simulation and real-time HIL approaches as well as the coupling of different laboratory environments. The main findings and educational materials developed in the project will be made available at open access platforms to be at the disposal of industrial companies, members of the research community, and the general public.