The transition to the smart grid era is associated with the creation of a meshed network of data contributors that necessitates for the transformation of the traditional top-down business model, where power system optimization relied on centralized decisions based on data silos preserved by stakeholders, to a more horizontal one in which optimization decisions are based on interconnected data assets and collective intelligence. Consequently, the need for “end-to-end” coordination between the electricity stakeholders, not only in business terms but also in exchanging information is becoming a necessity to enable the enhancement of electricity networks’ stability and resilience, while satisfying individual business process optimization targets of all stakeholders involved in the value chain. SYNERGY introduces a novel reference big data architecture and platform that leverages data, primary or secondarily related to the electricity domain, coming from diverse sources (APIs, historical data, statistics, sensors/ IoT, weather, energy markets and various other open data sources) to help electricity stakeholders to simultaneously enhance their data reach, improve their internal intelligence on electricity-related optimization functions, while getting involved in novel data (intelligence) sharing/trading models, in order to shift individual decision-making at a collective intelligence level. To this end SYNERGY will develop a highly effective a Big Energy Data Platform and AI Analytics Marketplace, accompanied by big data-enabled applications for the totality of electricity value chain stakeholders (altogether integrated in the SYNERGY Big Data-driven EaaS Framework). SYNERGY will be validated in 5 large-scale demonstrators, in Greece, Spain, Austria, Finland and Croatia involving diverse actors and data sources, heterogeneous energy assets, varied voltage levels and network conditions and spanning different climatic, demographic and cultural characteristics.

Lower population and business density make it more challenging to develop private businesses and public services in rural areas, negatively impacting socio-economic indicators. Rural areas are key to solve climate change, food, biomass and energy challenges. Favourable climate for entrepreneurship is needed for better provision of jobs, basic services, including health and care, connectivity, smart transport, energy solutions and attractiveness as whole, overcoming digital divide between rural and urban areas. AURORAL focus on delivering a digital environment of interoperable services through platforms able to trigger dynamic rural ecosystems of innovation chains, applications and services. Thus, AURORAL contributes to increasing economic growth in rural areas and to tackle significant societal challenges. AURORAL digital environment is demonstrated by cost-efficient and flexible cross-domain applications through large-scale pilots in five European regions. AURORAL digital environment builds on an open, API-based, interoperable and federated IoT architecture and includes a reference implementation supporting flexible integration of heterogeneous services, bridging the interoperability gap of the smart object platforms and creating markets for services in rural areas. AURORAL digital environment addresses the integration of data and information across different platforms, establishment of an open market place, large-scale demonstration, multiplication of novel applications, the leverage of infrastructure and inclusion of public services. AURORAL pilots follow an evolutionary agile, well-delineated, and lean approach demonstrated in large-scale applications capable of meeting social and economic objectives critical to boost new rural services and business. AURORAL digital environment supports a vibrant ecosystem of developers, service providers and user communities and addresses barriers currently opposing the socio-economic development of rural areas.

The ongoing energy system digitization is making available an enormous amount of data, paving the way for data sharing-enabled cross-value chain services, which may contribute to system-level increased efficiency and hence facilitate the energy transition. However data sharing in the energy sector is lagging behind, mainly due to lack of trust, privacy breaches risk and business models immaturity. In that respect ENERSHARE will a) deliver a Reference Architecture for a European Energy Data Space, which hybridizes SGAM with IDSA and GAIA-X architectures, by bringing data value chain perspective into the energy one b) evolve interoperability, trust, data value and governance building blocks to TRL 6-7 IDSA-compliant ones, adapt them to energy sector, and deploy: 1) across-energy and cross-sector data enhancement technology enablers and standardizable interfaces and open APIs by leveraging on open Standards (e.g. ETSI Context Broker) and ontologies (e.g. SAREF 2) trust-related connectors, to ensure privacy, confidentiality, cybersecurity-preserving trust, sovereignty and full control of data 3) Blockchain/Smart contract-enriched marketplace for data versus energy assets/services coordination, sharing, exchange, and beyond financial compensation 4) cross-value chain value-added services and Digital Twins, by leveraging on privacy-preserving federated learning c) integrate and deploy them within a Reference Implementation of a European Energy Data Space, which will be demonstrated along 7 pilots and 11 intra-electricity, intra-energy and beyond energy use cases d) co-design SSH-based consumer-centric business models for energy data sharing enabling data beyond-financial value creation and spreading along value chain d) prepare the ground for the European Energy Data Space setup, through alignment with EU-level relevant initiatives (GAIA-X, IDSA, BDVA, ETIP SNET, BRIDGE), contributing to Data Space standardization and boosting a level playing field for data sharing.

Future smart grids require the effective interaction between energy markets and electricity grid management systems in order to introduce new services and mitigate risks introduced by high RES penetration. FLEXGRID envisages the orchestration and integration of: i) advanced electricity grid models and tools, ii) flexibility assets’ management tools, and iii) data analytics and accurate forecasts of the various markets and RES production, in order to guarantee cost-effective and stable electricity grids. Towards this end, FLEXGRID project proposes a holistic future smart grid architecture able to accommodate high RES penetration through the advancement, interaction and integration of: i) innovative models that are based on recent advances in game theory in order to quantify and highly improve the trade-off between the various future energy markets’ requirements (Real Time, Efficient, Strategy Proof, Competitive, Scalable, Fair and Privacy Protecting) and guarantee, theoretically and in practice, the “fairness” of the equilibrium points that energy markets reach, ii) grid system models that use optimization theory to achieve more efficient market clearing and Optimal Power Flow (OPF) algorithms to achieve scalability, in a way that must also be Low Overhead, Multi-period, Robust and Network Upgrade Planning Aware, and iii) innovative Business Models through the use of artificial intelligence, which can be exploited by modern Energy Service Providers (ESPs) and RES Producers (RESPs) to achieve economic and operational benefits through their efficient interaction with FLEXGRID’s advanced markets and electricity grid models. FLEXGRID will help: i) DSOs/TSOs manage safely and at low cost their electricity grid by interacting with ESPs and RESPs through novel flexibility market procedures, ii) modern ESPs become more competitive and sustainable,and iii) RESPs optimally compose and exploit their production in a risk-averse manner by making their RES generation dispatchable.

An increasing role is foreseen in Europe for local energy communities (LECs) to speed up the grid integration of RES. To-day, the enabling role of DSOs in support of LECs is hampered by a lack of flexibility when planning cost-efficient LEC connections to their network at MV level, and by a lack of digitalization of the LV networks to make LEC’s smart prosumers benefit economically when serving the DSO flexibility needs. Four European DSOs (E.ON, ENEDIS, E.DIS, Güssing Stadtwerke) and an Indian DSO (TATA) have joined with IT-based, innovative product and solution providers, and technology and research centers, to demonstrate the combined roles of innovative functionalities serving the MV and LV networks, when implemented in 5 different regulatory regimes (Austria, France, Hungary, Germany, India- state of Delhi-). For MV networks, a mobile storage concept at substation level is demonstrated in Hungary, Germany and Austria. It enables DSOs to reduce investment uncertainties, avoid hindering future renewables connection and foster the local use of flexibility with participating non-regulated market solutions (Demand Side Response-DR-). For LV networks, 3 functional use cases served by ATOS and Schneider are tested simultaneously in Austria and India with prosumer support: i) Forecasting/scheduling of Distributed Energy Resources for the optimized energy management of Local Energy Systems, ii) Customized, human-centric prosumer participation in explicit DR programs using context-aware flexibility profiles, iii) Grid-forming/islanding capabilities in Local Energy Communities to optimize their energy system resilience. The joint work of DSOS aims at accelerating scaling up and replication tested by HEDNO (Greece) and E.ON (Sweden). Dissemination towards players of the energy value chain recommends business models, possible regulatory adjustments and deployment roadmaps of the most promising use cases, in support of the implementation of the Clean Energy Package.