FEDECOM: Enhancing Energy Communities in Europe
FEDECOM (FEDErated "system of systems" approach for flexible and interoperable energy COMmunities) is a 48-month EU Horizon Europe-funded project that began on October 1st, 2022. The project aims to develop a technical and business ecosystem to demonstrate the benefits of energy sector coupling across European energy communities. By integrating local energy systems, FEDECOM aims to improve grid stability and reliability, enhance economic benefits, and reduce the overall carbon footprint.
Objectives
The primary objectives of FEDECOM are to:
- Deploy a cloud-based solution for sector coupling, distributed generation and storage, high flexibility management, and improvement of RES hosting by up to 40%.
- Validate the solution in three pilots across diverse technical, market, and climate contexts to demonstrate grid resilience, optimise local operations, and unlock at least 30% of demand-side flexibility.
- Develop plans for large-scale solution replication in three follower communities, focusing on impact assessment.
- Evaluate impacts on OPEX, CAPEX, and overall value creation.
Hive Power's Role in the FEDECOM Project
Hive Power plays a crucial role within the FEDECOM project by contributing expertise in the following areas:
Hive Power's involvement in the project includes the following:
- Grid modelling, optimal power flow (OPF) algorithms, grid flexibility assessment, and grid state estimation.
- Using machine learning techniques to extract useful information from smart meters and providing estimated distribution grid states.
- Enabling self-adaptation of the grid and avoiding trespassing the safe operation limits while providing resolution of power congestion scenarios and stability improvements.
Intuitive User-specific Graphical Interfaces:
Hive Power also focuses on the following:
- Providing intuitive user-specific graphical interfaces to visualise relevant operation and performance data while ensuring a positive user experience.
- Deploying, integrating, and advancing existing interfaces to ensure efficient user interaction, considering already available energy management and monitoring tools.
Visualisation for Service Providers and Consumers:
Hive Power's visualisation solutions cater to service providers (aggregators, ESCOs) and consumers (prosumers, building, and facility managers). These solutions offer:
- Detailed insight into the relevant energy system and asset monitoring data.
- System operation status, balancing market data, grid state information, and flexibility activation requests from grid operators.
FEDECOM Pilot Projects
In addition to the main objectives and Hive Power's role in the FEDECOM project, three pilot projects are being implemented to validate the solutions and demonstrate grid resilience, optimised local operations, and demand-side flexibility unlocking.
Pilot 1: Virtual Green Hydrogen Federation (Spain)
The Spanish Federation consists of three communities: Ur Beroa Community and Bilbao Townhall (residential and tertiary), Puertollano Green Hydrogen Plant (industrial), and TMB Barcelona Station (mobility). The pilot aims to:
- Integrate renewable energy generation with P2X technologies (heating, hydrogen, and mobility).
- Optimise district heating and cooling systems.
- Aggregate and unlock flexibility across communities.
- Validate advanced control strategies under feasible business models.
Pilot 2: Residential Hydropower Federation (Switzerland)
The Swiss Federation is made up of Luggagia Innovation Community (residential and tertiary), Arena Innovation Community (residential and tertiary), and Garamè District (residential). The use cases for this pilot focus on the following:
- Increasing overall system efficiency through data analysis and user feedback.
- Enabling cross-vector flexibility and local energy trading to increase hosting capacity.
- Engaging users in optimal trading mechanisms.
- Integrating vertical flexibility by aggregating assets in the federation for ancillary services.
Pilot 3: Cross-country E-Mobility Federation (Belgium-Netherlands)
Pilot 3 spans two countries and includes Brussels Brico Retail Community (commercial and residential), Voorhout Village (residential), and Besix HQ and Eemnes Community (tertiary and residential). The demo scenarios for this pilot aim to:
- Maximise the exploitation of locally generated renewable energy across multiple sectors.
- Unlock demand flexibility by integrating with EV charging infrastructures.
- Enable peer-to-peer trading of locally generated energy.
- Demonstrate cross-country interaction and energy exchange.
These pilot projects offer a glimpse into the future of European energy communities. By implementing innovative solutions and technologies, FEDECOM is paving the way for a more sustainable, resilient, and efficient energy landscape across the continent.
Conclusion
FEDECOM is a groundbreaking project that aims to create a more interconnected and efficient energy community across Europe. Hive Power's role in this project is pivotal in providing cutting-edge solutions and expertise to ensure the successful implementation and realisation of FEDECOM's objectives. Furthermore, by working with other stakeholders in the project, Hive Power is helping shape the future of the European energy sector and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient energy landscape.
