Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HOLISDER (Integrating Real-Intelligence in Energy Management Systems enabling Holistic Demand Response Optimization in Buildings and Districts)

Teaser

Although multiple trials have been conducted demonstrating that demand side flexibility works and even though technology roll-out progresses significantly fast, the business application of residential and small tertiary demand response has been slow to develop. HOLISDER...

Summary

Although multiple trials have been conducted demonstrating that demand side flexibility works and even though technology roll-out progresses significantly fast, the business application of residential and small tertiary demand response has been slow to develop. HOLISDER project introduces a holistic demand response optimization framework that enables significant energy costs reduction at the consumer side, while introducing buildings as a major contributor to energy networks’ stability in response to network constraints and conditions.

In order to address these challenges, the project focuses on a blend of technical, social, environmental and business goals, to address a multi-fold approach. In total, the HOLISDER objectives can be summarised around 7 main pillars, which can be further divided into two main categories, namely:
• Technical objectives focusing on the delivery of the HOLISDER system and services, which will be used as the basis for business exploitation and commercialisation through a business plan:
o Introduce residential and tertiary energy consumers as active players in energy markets and ensure significant benefits through their engagement in implicit human-centric demand response programmes
o Enable intelligence enhancement of currently available BEMS and Smart Home Systems with the integration of ICT-enabled human-centric DR optimization and predictive maintenance functions
o Deliver an open standards-based modular solution that ensures end-to-end interoperability between smart grids, EMS and smart home devices and holds a high replication potential around EU MS
o Safeguard grid reliability and the transition to a more fossil-free energy future through complementary explicit demand response strategies on the basis of aggregated flexibility utilization
• Business, Exploitation and Knowledge transfer objectives that focus on the evaluation and validation of the solution, the spread of the excellence gained and its entrance into the market:
o Tackle major market entry barriers for consumers with the introduction of suitable business models for energy utilities, aggregators and facility managers
o Validate the resulting solutions in real-life environments and ensure enhanced consumer engagement in Demand Response
o Promote the adoption of the HOLISDER solution as a next-generation demand response optimization framework through intense dissemination and knowledge transfer of the project’s outcomes towards the targeted stakeholders, reaching out to international audiences within and beyond the EU

Work performed

During the first 18 months of HOLISDER project, activity has been grouped in diverse topics and perspectives (conceptualization, business models definition, hardware and software development, pilots validation planning, dissemination of results, exploitation and market) and the main results achieved so far are:
USE CASES, STAKEHOLDERS REQUIREMENTS AND ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
• Analysis of the end-user requirements for later definition of the different components
• Definition of the M&V methodology to be followed during the pilot validation activities
• Definition of global schedule for the HOLISDER validation activities
• Design of overall architecture of the HOLISDER framework and the specifications of the key components and their functionalities
CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT AND ASSOCIATED DEMAND RESPONSE STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS MODELS
• Regulatory, Market, Socio-economic and ethical context analysis in the pilot countries
• Configuration of HOLISDER Implicit and Explicit Demand Response frameworks and associated strategies
• Definition of emerging and innovative DR business models
END-TO-END INTEROPERABILITY AND DATA MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
• Analysis of EU-wide interoperability standards and data models and harmonization requirements
• Development of a Common Information Model (CIM)
• Design of an open and modular end-to-end interoperability and data management framework
DEMAND RESPONSE OPTIMIZATION FRAMEWORK AND END-USER TOOLKIT
• Configuration of an Energy Tariff Emulator
• Development of a Flexibility Forecasting, Segmentation and Aggregation Module
DISSEMINATION, COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
• Set up of the project web site and social media channels and design of the project branding
• Definition and continuous updating and management of the Dissemination and Communication Strategy and Planning of the Respective Activities
• Planning of Living Lab activities for engagement and training in the pilot sites
EXPLOITATION AND BUSINESS INNOVATION
• Definition of a plan for the exploitation of the HOLISDER tangible and intangible results
• Performance of Market Intelligence Activities

Final results

Integration of Demand Response in building energy management systems and sub-sequent penetration in energy markets heavily relies on the deep and comprehensive understanding of real-life complexities imposed during actual operation, as well as, on the smooth end-to-end interoperable communication between all actors involved. The inadequacy of current technical offerings, business practices, market structures and regulatory frameworks to effectively address and smoothly integrate all these interrelated domains is the root cause for the slow pace of DR introduction in energy markets and the failure to empower consumers towards becoming more active energy market actors.

In this context, HOLISDER establishes a Holistic Demand Response Optimization Framework which adequately tackles all current shortcomings that hinder demand response integration and penetration in energy markets and empowers consumers to engage and benefit from energy market transactions, towards reducing their energy bills and further improving their revenues through the provision of services to energy networks. To this end, HOLISDER builds on top of proven and mature technological components, currently available open standards and novel business models towards enabling:
· Significant energy costs savings for energy consumers, through the deployment of innovative human-centric implicit demand response programmes;
· Creation of new revenue streams for energy consumers and their introduction as active balancing and ancillary assets in energy markets;
· Wide promotion of self-consumption for prosumers, through the introduction of a holistic optimization approach, incorporating advanced algorithms for accurate demand flexibility definition;
· Utilization of the currently unleashed storage capacity of buildings through the introduction of a cost-effective and highly efficient thermal storage solution;
· Proper tackling of consumers’ reluctance to participate in Demand Response, through the establishment of a human-centric DR optimization framework
· Further facilitation of consumers’ participation in energy markets through innovative business models and representation schemes through intermediaries and third parties;
· High replicability across different building types and systems, through the introduction of the HOLISDER Interoperability and Secure Data Management Framework;
· Advanced adaptability to demand response regulations around EU Member States;
· Enhanced operational stability and security of energy networks, through the introduction of the HOLISDER Global Demand Manager, allowing for detailed flexibility analysis, segmentation, classification and clustering of consumers’ portfolios, along with dynamic Virtual Power Plants (VPP) formulation.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.holisder.eu.