CREATORS has delivered the professional digital service solutions for the creation, development and operation of integrated energy communities. The solutions were demonstrated in 10 operational sites across Europe.
Local energy systems are often complex, encompassing hundreds of assets (participants), dozens of different asset types (generation technologies, storage, demand), and numerous markets with variable pricing for various services. Consequently, market services and practices have not yet been standardized, resulting in significant preparation (PREPEX), capital expenditure (CAPEX), and operational expenditure (OPEX) costs. CREATORS was primarily focused on technology development (digital twin/shadow), with an exploration of links to business cases, business models, and project development services.
CREATORS increased the viability of CES per main phase of its lifecycle; preparation, implementation, operation. Advancements in digital twin technology have demonstrated the ability to model and control various asset types and ranges within controlled pilot environments.. As a result, the CREATORS project achieved a measurable reduction in PREPEX and OPEX for simpler energy systems within controlled environments.
Energy communities must adapt to evolving regulatory frameworks, which can involve revising operational practices, updating compliance measures, and seizing new opportunities created by supportive legislation. However, unlocking local RES generation and flexibility in energy communities is very context sensitive and highly depends on the implementation environment. For example, in several pilots (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3) more than 75% of generated electricity is consumed locally without any major problems. During the CREATORS project we have learned that in many EU regions, the regulatory environment does not sufficiently incentivize local generation and consumption. Current policy instruments do not properly reward consumers and prosumers for their contributions to grid stability or for generating their own energy.
The smart energy management algorithms can however run the CES in an optimal way. By organising different participants in a CES, the joint optimum will always exceed what could be achieved individually, thus the power of CES.
While working towards the project objectives, significant social impact on the community was reached by:
* Increasing competitiveness of the local industry by reducing 1) the dependency on the grid and energy imports 2) the exposure to volatile energy prices which might impact the business case
* Improving security of the energy supply: power outages costs for the industry and the local economy,
* Making green energy affordable and accessible to all consumer groups, including those that do not have the financial capacity to directly invest in renewable energy
* The solution of congestion issues and optimised balancing at local level unlock opportunities for the creation/expansion of new activities that otherwise could not be connected to the existing network
