ACCEPT
ACtive Communities & Energy Prosumers for the energy Transition
| Business | Period | Project Coordinator | Funding Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | January 2021 - June 2024 | HYPERTECH (CHAIPERTEK) ANONYMOS VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA PLIROFORIKIS KAI NEON TECHNOLOGION |
H2020 |
Challenge
Despite their obvious benefits for the energy system as a whole, the grid integration of variable and intermittent Renewable Energy Sources (VRES) presents major challenges.
Demand flexibility from residential buildings is the main untapped source of flexibility currently in the market and promises significant flexibility potential, which in turn depends on the role of prosumers with regards to their engagement with the energy system and currently EU citizens lack the necessary tools to exploit the available opportunities and create financially viable operations based on the provision of services that citizens want.
ACCEPT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 957781 to fill this gap by delivering a digital toolbox that energy communities can use to:
- offer innovative and desired digital services, complementing their existing non-digital services to their members and customers
- gain access to revenue streams that can financially support their operations and ensure longevity and well-functioning of the community itself.
ACCEPT will validate its results in four demonstration sites with varying characteristics in terms of climatic zones, energy governance structures, proliferation of Renewable Energy Sources, regulatory frameworks and business models as well as culture and environmental consciousness:
- Murcia, Spain;
- Aspra Spitia, Greece;
- Culemborg, Netherlands;
- Massagno, Switzerland.
Approach
In the framework of ACCEPT, RINA is in charge of the following main activities:
- definition of project use cases and users’ requirement
- identification of business cases
- create a preliminary definition of business models for providers of energy and non-energy services and the required Service Level Agreements and contract terms
- develop suitable business plan
- lead the exploitation activities
Conclusion
In conclusion, ACCEPT will deliver an integrated tool-chain to bootstrap the transition of energy communities to full players of the energy & flexibility markets and offering value-adding services to customers and develop the Consumer Digital Twin model that streamlines the information exchange between building-level tools and market actors enabling insights on consumer behaviour and improved demand forecasting.
The project is framing the citizen engagement and business modelling activities in the same priority as the technical development ones.
Their intertwined implementation will be the critical success factor for the delivery of the ACCEPT solution as a Minimum Viable Product that has already passed preliminary market testing and financial viability checks.
Last but not least, ACCEPT solution will be compatible with the majority of residential building systems used across the EU as a fundamental enabler of ACCEPT solution replication.
