The first project period was dedicated to setting up the integrated, Pan-European smart grid and energy systems RIs to achieve the overall project objectives. The focus during the second period was on deepening the networking, access, and joint research activities. In the third and final period, ERIGrid 2.0 completed its technical developments, demonstrated the integration of services across distributed RIs, intensified dissemination and exploitation efforts, and supported various user groups. Therefore, the following main achievements were made:
Key Results and Achievements
• Access to RIs: ERIGrid 2.0 provided Trans-national Access (TA) to 106 user projects across 13 calls, exceeding its target with 1,677 access days delivered. This included 19 industrial projects and 370 access days for non-EU users. In parallel, 10 Virtual Access (VA) services remained operational, reaching over 12,000 unique users globally. These services supported research and education with minimal administrative overhead.
• Joint Research and Integration: The project developed and demonstrated advanced tools and methodologies for system-level validation, including the extended Holistic Test Description (HTD), three different benchmark models, the universal API (uAPI), and the Research Infrastructure as Code (RIasC) framework. These tools enabled reproducible, scalable, and automated experiments across distributed RIs.
• Scientific Output: Numerous scientific publications were produced, including journal articles and conference papers co-authored by user groups and host labs. These covered topics such as grid-forming inverters, cybersecurity, co-simulation, and control optimisation. All user projects also submitted technical reports, publicly available via the ERIGrid 2.0 website and Zenodo.
• Education and Training: ERIGrid 2.0 delivered a comprehensive training programme, including four training schools, ten workshops, and a six-part Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on holistic smart energy system validation. New lab modules were developed, and several staff exchanges were conducted to foster cross-institutional learning.
• Dissemination and Exploitation: The project maintained a strong dissemination presence through its website, newsletters, social media, and participation in major events such as CIRED, PVSEC, and IEEE conferences. Key outcomes were summarised in factsheets, a “Final Public Project Report”, and the “European Guide to Smart Energy System Testing: The ERIGrid 2.0 Approach for Evaluating Complex Smart Energy System Configurations.” Exploitation activities were guided by the project’s Exploitation and IPR Agreement, while data management followed the established Data Management Plan. All tools, datasets, and results were made openly available via GitHub and Zenodo, supporting FAIR principles and open science.
• Standardisation and Policy Impact: ERIGrid 2.0 contributed to international standardisation through active involvement in IEEE P2004 and CIGRE C6.36 working groups. The project’s methodologies and tools were aligned with global best practices and referenced in policy-relevant documents, including the IEA’s “State of Energy Innovation” report.
