November 11, 2022
InterConnect’s 5th General Assembly gathered more than 80 participants in the city of Porto
The 5th General Assembly of the InterConnect project took place in the city of Porto (Portugal), on October 26, 2022; the event brought together more than 80 participants. A general project meeting took place during the previous day, at the same venue, and the participants had the opportunity to discuss the great developments to date, […]
The 5th General Assembly of the InterConnect project took place in the city of Porto (Portugal), on October 26, 2022; the event brought together more than 80 participants. A general project meeting took place during the previous day, at the same venue, and the participants had the opportunity to discuss the great developments to date, and to define the next steps for interoperability in the European electric ecosystem.
After the break caused by the pandemic, which forced the project partners to meet online for two years, the participants finally had the opportunity to discuss the project’s progress in person. The focus was not only on the results already achieved regarding the key exploitable results of the project – namely the Semantic Interoperability Framework (SIF) and the DSO Interface -, but also on the current and future implementations in the seven pilots, which aim to introduce the semantic interoperability structure among end users by mid-2023. Some partners also promoted technological demonstrations during the event, and those attending were able to understand the solutions being developed, many of them cross-cutting to more than one country.
Among said demonstrations, it’s important to highlight the following: exploitation of the dynamic energy tariff; implementation of electric vehicle chargers within the scope of various pilots; water and surface heating controllers; energy profitability in the use of household appliances (e.g., washing machines, dishwashers, lighting sensors), with a focus on energy saving, combined with the maximum comfort of the end users. The representatives of the pilots had the opportunity to demonstrate, in person or online, the progress of the practical implementations in their demonstration areas, their impact and engagement level.
Carlos Damas Silva (E-REDES), leader of WP4 (Smart Grids Framework for Interoperable Energy System), presented the current DSO Interface platform, one of the main key exploitable results of the project – which is already being installed on the Portuguese pilot; Carlos Damas Silvas explained to the other participants that the next steps involve defining the work structure, so that distribution system operators (DSO) can integrate this technology into their operations.
Milenko Tosic (Vizlore), leader of WP5 (Digital Platforms and Marketplace), presented SIF – together with Fábio Coelho, INESC TEC researcher -, a solution that is being tested on all pilots of the project, focusing on the interoperability of the electrical ecosystem. Building a semantic interoperability framework drives the development of innovative services and processes for managing energy flexibility, forecasting, and trading. Thus, new business models and opportunities emerge to make renewable management more efficient.
Raquel Carro (FundingBox), leader of WP8 (Fostering Innovation Through Bottom-up Projects), presented the results of the first open call that gathered 66 applications from more than 20 countries. After a thorough selection process, 14 proposals were selected, which are expected to be integrated into the ongoing pilot projects. Over the upcoming months, there will be a welcome event for the 14 selected projects, followed by a mentoring programme.
Andreas Georgakopoulos (WNGS ICT Solutions); leader of WP9 (Sustainability of the InterConnect Project), presented the action plan for the upcoming months, whose objectives are to analyse the economic, social, and environmental benefits of the participation of energy communities, taking into account the Demand-Side Flexibility (DSF), the conditions for social acceptance and consequent trust, and the marketing messages and communication strategies to be adopted between the countries involved.
Joana Coelho, from INESC TEC, leader of WP10 (Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation) presented the communication, dissemination, and exploitation results. The presentation highlighted the more than 1400 outcomes already achieved throughout the project, about its dissemination, which translate into the project’s representation in more than 100 events, approximately 240 news, 18 press releases, more than 900 publications on social media, 18 newsletters, and 22 scientific publications, among others. Regarding the exploitation of results, and in addition to the two main KERs of the project – SIF and DSO Interface – the event also showed how the different pilots are integrating these technological solutions in their demonstration areas. Olivier Genest (Trialog) addressed the importance of cooperating with other initiatives, like the BRIDGE Initiative, the JRC, the EU Blockchain Observatory, etc., or even with projects also funded under the European Commission’s H2020 programme, such as the recently completed OPEN DEI – particularly in what concerns discussing the issues involving interoperability and its replicability in the European electricity system, creating synergies that leverage and upscale these solutions
The die is cast – and the seven large-scale pilots are under implementation. Interoperability is gradually becoming a reality, and not just ‘the future’ – because the future is now.
The InterConnect project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement no. 857237.