BeFlexible Interviews

Understanding what drives enrolment in flexibility programs: key value propositions

Insights from the BeFlexible interviews with aggregators and flexibility service providers

The transition to sustainable electrical systems relies on the active participation of aggregators and flexibility service providers (FSPs). These actors play a vital role in integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) into energy markets by offering innovative solutions to manage demand and enhance grid flexibility.

As part of the BeFlexible project, a detailed study was conducted involving 10 interviews with aggregators and FSPs. The aim was to uncover the motives and value propositions that drive customers—residential, commercial, and industrial—to participate in flexibility programs. This article highlights the key findings from these interviews and explores how value propositions can align with consumer expectations to foster greater engagement.

 

Validation of value propositions from the interviews

Five higher-order gains were previously identified as value propositions for flexibility programs. These propositions reflect the tangible and intangible benefits that align with customer needs and expectations. The results demonstrate that monetary gains and optimization are the most significant drivers, while access to infrastructure, learning, and sharing flexibility represent propositions with emerging potential. These findings provide a solid foundation for testing and refining the proposed value propositions.

Validation of Value Propositions from the Interviews. BeFlexible Interviews

  1. Monetary gains (Sell flexibility):

This was the most validated value proposition during the interviews. It is considered the primary driver for engagement, notably among industrial consumers, as participants emphasize its importance in providing direct economic benefits. The interviews show two approaches to the provision of monetary gains: pre-established payments (usually differentiating between payment per capacity and payment per activation) and post-established payments (the payments given by the DSO are shared with customers). However, it is generally noted that this proposition should be accompanied by additional value propositions to build a more robust and sustainable business model.

  1. Optimize: Make the most of, avoid waste:

As the second most mentioned value proposition, optimization highlights the importance of resource efficiency and minimizing waste. In some cases, participants even identified energy savings as the most critical proposition. Often, it complements monetary gains, enhancing the perceived value by combining economic savings with operational efficiency.

  1. Access to better infrastructure:

This value proposition is viewed as an indirect economic benefit, typically executed in the form of discounts on new equipment. Participants see improved infrastructure as a key enabler for optimizing energy use and enhancing their overall experience, providing long-term value beyond immediate monetary gains.

  1. Learn, discover, and improve:

This value proposition was mentioned less frequently during the interviews but holds potential for future development. Two distinct aspects of this proposition emerged from the analysis. First, learning is often used as an engagement strategy. This involves educating consumers to empower them with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their energy use. While empowering consumers is a means to ensure engagement, it is not necessarily perceived as a standalone value proposition but rather as a supportive mechanism that facilitates deeper involvement in flexibility programs.

Second, some participants highlighted the added value of providing tools, such as apps or AI-enabled systems, that go beyond the primary purpose of flexibility provision. These tools allow consumers to use the technology for other purposes, thereby augmenting the perceived value of the program. For instance, a flexibility app that also helps consumers monitor their broader energy consumption or manage household appliances adds an additional layer of utility, increasing its appeal.

By differentiating these two aspects—education as an engagement enabler and the broader utility of provided tools—this value proposition can be further refined to align more closely with consumer expectations and needs.

  1. Sharing flexibility:

This proposition was rarely mentioned during the interviews and was seen more as a future opportunity rather than an immediate offering. It is considered a potential value-add that could foster community engagement and collaboration in the long term.

Summary

Value proposition
Order
Explanation
Monetary gains (sell flexibility) 1 This is the primary motive overall, making it the most validated value proposition. However, it is noted that it must be paired with another value proposition to form the foundation of the business model.
Optimize: make the most of, avoid waste) 2 This is generally the second most mentioned value proposition and was, on one occasion, highlighted as the most important. It often complements monetary gains, adding further value.
Access to better infrastructure 3 Considered important as it is perveived as an indirect economic benefit.
Learn, discover and improve 4 While mentioned less frequently, it is seen as having potential according to all respondents, although it is not currently being offered.
Sharing flexibility 5 This value proposition was barely mentioned, only as a potential option for the future. It is not currently being considered part of the value offering.

Key insights

Different companies approach flexibility programs and engage clients through tailored value propositions and motivational drivers.

  1. Economic drivers often rank as the most influential motive for enrolling in flexibility programs, particularly for residential clients seeking cost savings.
  2. Environmental motives are critical for clients focused on sustainability and aligning with CO2 emissions reduction goals.
  3. Caring and Identity/Learning motives, while less prominent, play supporting roles by enhancing user engagement and fostering loyalty.

The analysis of the BeFlexible interviews suggests that the most successful business models combine clear value propositions with strategies tailored to the needs of target customers. Economic incentives are key motivators, especially in industrial contexts. However, regulatory barriers and limited market awareness constrain growth in certain segments. It is essential to foster public-private collaborations to overcome regulatory challenges and increase customer engagement through educational campaigns and incentive programs.

Recommendations

  1. Customize Value Propositions: Adapt incentives and services to the specific needs of each segment.
  2. Enhance Market Education: Implement strategies to raise awareness about the benefits of flexibility.
  3. Simplify Regulatory Barriers: Work with policymakers to create more accessible regulatory frameworks.
  4. Expand Collaborations: Promote alliances with local and regional actors to facilitate the integration of innovative solutions.

Moving forward

By developing tailored solutions for different customer segments and addressing their specific needs, flexibility programs can reach wider audiences. Additionally, public-private collaborations will play a crucial role in overcoming regulatory barriers and raising awareness about the benefits of flexibility.

Stay tuned for future updates, including a forthcoming academic paper that will present a detailed analysis of these findings.

For more information on the BeFlexible project, visit www.beflexible.eu.

Contributors

Insights from the BeFlexible interviews with aggregators and flexibility service providers

The transition to sustainable electrical systems relies on the active participation of aggregators and flexibility service providers (FSPs). These actors play a vital role in integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) into energy markets by offering innovative solutions to manage demand and enhance grid flexibility.

As part of the BeFlexible project, a detailed study was conducted involving 10 interviews with aggregators and FSPs. The aim was to uncover the motives and value propositions that drive customers—residential, commercial, and industrial—to participate in flexibility programs. This article highlights the key findings from these interviews and explores how value propositions can align with consumer expectations to foster greater engagement.

 

Validation of value propositions from the interviews

Five higher-order gains were previously identified as value propositions for flexibility programs. These propositions reflect the tangible and intangible benefits that align with customer needs and expectations. The results demonstrate that monetary gains and optimization are the most significant drivers, while access to infrastructure, learning, and sharing flexibility represent propositions with emerging potential. These findings provide a solid foundation for testing and refining the proposed value propositions.

Validation of Value Propositions from the Interviews. BeFlexible Interviews

  1. Monetary gains (Sell flexibility):

This was the most validated value proposition during the interviews. It is considered the primary driver for engagement, notably among industrial consumers, as participants emphasize its importance in providing direct economic benefits. The interviews show two approaches to the provision of monetary gains: pre-established payments (usually differentiating between payment per capacity and payment per activation) and post-established payments (the payments given by the DSO are shared with customers). However, it is generally noted that this proposition should be accompanied by additional value propositions to build a more robust and sustainable business model.

  1. Optimize: Make the most of, avoid waste:

As the second most mentioned value proposition, optimization highlights the importance of resource efficiency and minimizing waste. In some cases, participants even identified energy savings as the most critical proposition. Often, it complements monetary gains, enhancing the perceived value by combining economic savings with operational efficiency.

  1. Access to better infrastructure:

This value proposition is viewed as an indirect economic benefit, typically executed in the form of discounts on new equipment. Participants see improved infrastructure as a key enabler for optimizing energy use and enhancing their overall experience, providing long-term value beyond immediate monetary gains.

  1. Learn, discover, and improve:

This value proposition was mentioned less frequently during the interviews but holds potential for future development. Two distinct aspects of this proposition emerged from the analysis. First, learning is often used as an engagement strategy. This involves educating consumers to empower them with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their energy use. While empowering consumers is a means to ensure engagement, it is not necessarily perceived as a standalone value proposition but rather as a supportive mechanism that facilitates deeper involvement in flexibility programs.

Second, some participants highlighted the added value of providing tools, such as apps or AI-enabled systems, that go beyond the primary purpose of flexibility provision. These tools allow consumers to use the technology for other purposes, thereby augmenting the perceived value of the program. For instance, a flexibility app that also helps consumers monitor their broader energy consumption or manage household appliances adds an additional layer of utility, increasing its appeal.

By differentiating these two aspects—education as an engagement enabler and the broader utility of provided tools—this value proposition can be further refined to align more closely with consumer expectations and needs.

  1. Sharing flexibility:

This proposition was rarely mentioned during the interviews and was seen more as a future opportunity rather than an immediate offering. It is considered a potential value-add that could foster community engagement and collaboration in the long term.

Summary

Value proposition
Order
Explanation
Monetary gains (sell flexibility) 1 This is the primary motive overall, making it the most validated value proposition. However, it is noted that it must be paired with another value proposition to form the foundation of the business model.
Optimize: make the most of, avoid waste) 2 This is generally the second most mentioned value proposition and was, on one occasion, highlighted as the most important. It often complements monetary gains, adding further value.
Access to better infrastructure 3 Considered important as it is perveived as an indirect economic benefit.
Learn, discover and improve 4 While mentioned less frequently, it is seen as having potential according to all respondents, although it is not currently being offered.
Sharing flexibility 5 This value proposition was barely mentioned, only as a potential option for the future. It is not currently being considered part of the value offering.

Key insights

Different companies approach flexibility programs and engage clients through tailored value propositions and motivational drivers.

  1. Economic drivers often rank as the most influential motive for enrolling in flexibility programs, particularly for residential clients seeking cost savings.
  2. Environmental motives are critical for clients focused on sustainability and aligning with CO2 emissions reduction goals.
  3. Caring and Identity/Learning motives, while less prominent, play supporting roles by enhancing user engagement and fostering loyalty.

The analysis of the BeFlexible interviews suggests that the most successful business models combine clear value propositions with strategies tailored to the needs of target customers. Economic incentives are key motivators, especially in industrial contexts. However, regulatory barriers and limited market awareness constrain growth in certain segments. It is essential to foster public-private collaborations to overcome regulatory challenges and increase customer engagement through educational campaigns and incentive programs.

Recommendations

  1. Customize Value Propositions: Adapt incentives and services to the specific needs of each segment.
  2. Enhance Market Education: Implement strategies to raise awareness about the benefits of flexibility.
  3. Simplify Regulatory Barriers: Work with policymakers to create more accessible regulatory frameworks.
  4. Expand Collaborations: Promote alliances with local and regional actors to facilitate the integration of innovative solutions.

Moving forward

By developing tailored solutions for different customer segments and addressing their specific needs, flexibility programs can reach wider audiences. Additionally, public-private collaborations will play a crucial role in overcoming regulatory barriers and raising awareness about the benefits of flexibility.

Stay tuned for future updates, including a forthcoming academic paper that will present a detailed analysis of these findings.

For more information on the BeFlexible project, visit www.beflexible.eu.

Contributors

Energy Communities in the BeFlexible Project

Energy communities in the BeFlexible project

Article by José Villar, Luís Rodrigues, André García, Ricardo Bessa, Fábio Coelho, Rafael Costa e João Mello, from INESC TEC.

Energy Communities (ECs) are a key focus of the European Union’s new energy strategy, with Member States (MS) currently transposing EU directives into their national regulations and progressively adapting and improving them. The concepts of ECs and self-consumption were introduced through Directives 2018/2001 and 2019/943 on the internal EU electricity market, as well as Directive 2019/944, which establishes goals for energy use from renewable sources. Their main objective is to deliver environmental, economic, or social benefits to their members, shareholders, or the local areas where they operate, rather than prioritizing financial profit. Energy communities can implement collective self-consumption, a regulated activity that enables the use of self-generated energy by allocating the surplus energy produced by generating members to other community members who are consuming energy.

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), limited to renewable energy generation and geographically constrained, can take various forms, such as condominiums sharing a common rooftop PV system, neighborhoods or villages with one or multiple PV installations on nearby lands, or diverse groups of local consumers, industries, and public or private service facilities. These communities can collectively own and share energy assets, distribute electricity surpluses to REC members in need, and implement energy-related projects and joint procurement for the common good.

Matching local renewable energy generation with consumption provides implicit balancing flexibility to the power system, as community members will be willing to adjust their energy usage to take full advantage of locally produced, cheaper green energy. This adaptation enhances the balance between consumption and generation at the local level, contributing to renewable energy integration.

Moreover, energy communities can act as natural aggregators of their members, with the potential of providing explicit flexibility to grid operators, thereby supporting grid operation and stability.

INESC TEC brings to the BeFlexible project its digital platform RECreation for the planning and operation of energy communities, originally described in [1], and schematically shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – RECreation digital platform for the planning and operation of energy communities

Figure 1 – RECreation digital platform for the planning and operation of energy communities

 

RECreation integrates the energy services and modules needed for the different running modes of a REC, including:

  • Front end: with several REC configuration options and a dashboard to inform the REC manager and the REC members on the operation of the REC.
  • Data base: with structural data regarding the REC structure definition, and economic and energy data such as the opportunity costs of the REC members, consumption and generation data, and settlement results.
  • Transactions module: to compute the local energy transaction and prices according to the selected business model.
  • Settlement module: computes the internal compensations derived from the local energy transactions, and the energy allocation performed by the DSO and the grid access tariffs charged to the EGAC (REC manager in the Portuguese terminology) for verification. From the settlement results, RECreation prepares a billing guide in Excell format with the information needed by an invoicing system to invoice the internal compensations among members for each settlement period (typically monthly).
  • Energy management module: computes the setpoints of the flexible resources (pre-delivery optimization), and can also compute the optimal transactions according to predefined criteria (post-delivery optimization).
  • Sizing module: for sizing new resources for the energy community.

Two main types of energy allocation modes are considered (see [2]). Pre-delivery allocation methods rely on allocation coefficients that are determined independently of the final metered energy. Examples include the fixed coefficients specified in the Portuguese regulation or those proportional to contracted power under the Spanish regulation. In contrast, post-delivery allocation coefficients are calculated based on the final metered energy after delivery. These coefficients can be, for instance, proportional to consumption or dynamic. Dynamic coefficients, calculated by the REC manager using metered energy data provided by the DSO, are then shared with the DSO to perform the energy allocation. This approach offers greater flexibility compared to pre-delivery methods.

Enhancing the RECreation digital platform

In the BeFlexible project, INESC TEC is enhancing the RECreation digital platform in several key areas to address emerging challenges and opportunities in energy management and flexibility provision.

The first enhancement involves the development of a comprehensive framework, and the implementation of the tools needed for the provision of explicit flexibility to third parties by the energy community, such as supplying flexibility to the local distribution system operator (DSO), as illustrated in Figure 2.

Under this framework, the REC manager functions as the aggregator of the community members’ resources, operating them in a centralized manner. The REC manager provides a baseline for flexibility verification, which reflects the REC’s optimal operation had no flexibility been requested. When the DSO specifies the hours and values of its flexibility needs, an iterative optimization procedure determines the optimal flexibility to be offered based on a set of expected flexibility prices. This process results in the creation of a flexibility curve to address flexibility prices uncertainty.

Once the local flexibility market is cleared, the selected flexibility is communicated for activation. The aggregator then determines the final setpoints for the flexibility assets to ensure the optimal delivery of the requested flexibility.

Following flexibility delivery, the local energy transactions, reflecting the energy shared among REC members while accounting for flexibility provision, must be calculated. This enables the determination of allocation coefficients sent to the DSO to allocate energy and inform energy suppliers of the final energy supplied, reduced by the energy self-consumed. For this, the RECreation settlement framework is being enhanced to compute the allocation coefficients and to account for, not only compensation from consuming to generating members, but also the additional revenues generated through flexibility services. Note that, as explained in [2], dynamic allocation coefficients, are essential to enable the provision of local flexibility from the REC. Dynamic allocation coefficients are already implemented in the Portuguese and French regulatory frameworks, among others, but not yet in the Spanish one.

Figure 2 – Framework for the provision of explicit flexibility from energy communities

The second enhancement of RECreation, originally designed as a standalone platform, is its integration with the Grid Data and Business Network (GDBN) as an aggregator, by sending the baseline to the GDBN, receiving the flexibility needs, sending the flexibility bids, and activating the flexibility finally selected by the DSO, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 – RECreation integrated as aggregator with the GDBN

Figure 3 – RECreation integrated as aggregator with the GDBN

Indeed, as described in [3] and in [4], the GDBN is a digital platform designed to support the key stages of the flexibility value chain, streamlining processes and contractual agreements necessary for flexibility provision. Acting as an engagement driver, the GDBN helps unlock flexibility potential by integrating third-party services and digital platforms, including existing commercial local flexibility market (LFM) platforms. Furthermore, the GDBN offers additional services, such as flexibility activation, which are often not included in standard LFM platforms. By serving as an interoperable proxy among aggregators, LFM and DSOs, the GDBN facilitates participation in flexibility markets and ensures the seamless activation of flexibility services as requested by the DSO.

Finally, it is expected to integrate RECreation with SAP invoice management system, a definite standard for many businesses and firms. The integration of the RECreation platform with SAP’s billing system comes as one of the steps of the integration within SAPs ecosystem, which will later unlock the deployment environment to make the software available as a product in SAP’s Store. This is supported by a deployment of the RECreation platform in SAP’s operational ecosystem, designed as BTP (Business Technology Platform) which makes several services that cater for infrastructure and cloud services. Specifically, the platform will be deployed considering SAP’s Kyma Environment, a branded Kubernetes clustering option that supports a virtual and containerized deployment option, offering scalability and elasticity options that may cater for scaling the service needs if needed during service production. The approach will make each module/component of the RECreation platform an individual container. The integration with external services provided by SAP, namely the invoicing system is performed by adopting the internal invoicing service API with RECreation’s settlement mechanism, which provides information on the final balances of consumers. This information is then taken by the invoicing service that forwards the balances due by each customer through its own dissemination channels.

The Kyma environment as tool to support elasticity and modular components offers thus the scaling according to demand, together with fault-tolerance mechanisms to the GDBN and RECreation platform, ensuring industry standards compliance, up-time and configurable quality-of-service.

Conclusive remarks

This article explores how the BeFlexible project leverages the potential of energy communities for flexibility provision by integrating RECreation, INESC TEC’s platform for managing energy communities, into the value chain activities supported by the GDBN digital platform. This integration involves developing advanced procedures within RECreation’s energy management system to build flexibility bids and seamlessly transmit them to flexibility markets via the GDBN, which acts as an interoperable gateway. Additionally, it includes adapting RECreation’s database and workflows to handle flexibility-related data and optimizing the operation of energy communities by calculating the final setpoints of flexible assets to deliver the committed flexibility upon activation requests from the GDBN. Finally, integrating RECreation into robust ecosystems like SAP enhances scalability, operational efficiency, and alignment with industry standards, ensuring the platform’s readiness for broader deployment and long-term sustainability.

This article summarizes key takeaways from Deliverable 1.2, titled “Framework for a flexibility-centric energy and cross-sector value chain, business use cases and KPI definition” developed within the framework of the BeFlexible project. To access the complete document, please click here.

Stay tuned with BeFlexible by following us on LinkedIn and X!

Article references.

Article by José Villar, Luís Rodrigues, André García, Ricardo Bessa, Fábio Coelho, Rafael Costa e João Mello, from INESC TEC.

Energy Communities (ECs) are a key focus of the European Union’s new energy strategy, with Member States (MS) currently transposing EU directives into their national regulations and progressively adapting and improving them. The concepts of ECs and self-consumption were introduced through Directives 2018/2001 and 2019/943 on the internal EU electricity market, as well as Directive 2019/944, which establishes goals for energy use from renewable sources. Their main objective is to deliver environmental, economic, or social benefits to their members, shareholders, or the local areas where they operate, rather than prioritizing financial profit. Energy communities can implement collective self-consumption, a regulated activity that enables the use of self-generated energy by allocating the surplus energy produced by generating members to other community members who are consuming energy.

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), limited to renewable energy generation and geographically constrained, can take various forms, such as condominiums sharing a common rooftop PV system, neighborhoods or villages with one or multiple PV installations on nearby lands, or diverse groups of local consumers, industries, and public or private service facilities. These communities can collectively own and share energy assets, distribute electricity surpluses to REC members in need, and implement energy-related projects and joint procurement for the common good.

Matching local renewable energy generation with consumption provides implicit balancing flexibility to the power system, as community members will be willing to adjust their energy usage to take full advantage of locally produced, cheaper green energy. This adaptation enhances the balance between consumption and generation at the local level, contributing to renewable energy integration.

Moreover, energy communities can act as natural aggregators of their members, with the potential of providing explicit flexibility to grid operators, thereby supporting grid operation and stability.

INESC TEC brings to the BeFlexible project its digital platform RECreation for the planning and operation of energy communities, originally described in [1], and schematically shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – RECreation digital platform for the planning and operation of energy communities

Figure 1 – RECreation digital platform for the planning and operation of energy communities

 

RECreation integrates the energy services and modules needed for the different running modes of a REC, including:

  • Front end: with several REC configuration options and a dashboard to inform the REC manager and the REC members on the operation of the REC.
  • Data base: with structural data regarding the REC structure definition, and economic and energy data such as the opportunity costs of the REC members, consumption and generation data, and settlement results.
  • Transactions module: to compute the local energy transaction and prices according to the selected business model.
  • Settlement module: computes the internal compensations derived from the local energy transactions, and the energy allocation performed by the DSO and the grid access tariffs charged to the EGAC (REC manager in the Portuguese terminology) for verification. From the settlement results, RECreation prepares a billing guide in Excell format with the information needed by an invoicing system to invoice the internal compensations among members for each settlement period (typically monthly).
  • Energy management module: computes the setpoints of the flexible resources (pre-delivery optimization), and can also compute the optimal transactions according to predefined criteria (post-delivery optimization).
  • Sizing module: for sizing new resources for the energy community.

Two main types of energy allocation modes are considered (see [2]). Pre-delivery allocation methods rely on allocation coefficients that are determined independently of the final metered energy. Examples include the fixed coefficients specified in the Portuguese regulation or those proportional to contracted power under the Spanish regulation. In contrast, post-delivery allocation coefficients are calculated based on the final metered energy after delivery. These coefficients can be, for instance, proportional to consumption or dynamic. Dynamic coefficients, calculated by the REC manager using metered energy data provided by the DSO, are then shared with the DSO to perform the energy allocation. This approach offers greater flexibility compared to pre-delivery methods.

Enhancing the RECreation digital platform

In the BeFlexible project, INESC TEC is enhancing the RECreation digital platform in several key areas to address emerging challenges and opportunities in energy management and flexibility provision.

The first enhancement involves the development of a comprehensive framework, and the implementation of the tools needed for the provision of explicit flexibility to third parties by the energy community, such as supplying flexibility to the local distribution system operator (DSO), as illustrated in Figure 2.

Under this framework, the REC manager functions as the aggregator of the community members’ resources, operating them in a centralized manner. The REC manager provides a baseline for flexibility verification, which reflects the REC’s optimal operation had no flexibility been requested. When the DSO specifies the hours and values of its flexibility needs, an iterative optimization procedure determines the optimal flexibility to be offered based on a set of expected flexibility prices. This process results in the creation of a flexibility curve to address flexibility prices uncertainty.

Once the local flexibility market is cleared, the selected flexibility is communicated for activation. The aggregator then determines the final setpoints for the flexibility assets to ensure the optimal delivery of the requested flexibility.

Following flexibility delivery, the local energy transactions, reflecting the energy shared among REC members while accounting for flexibility provision, must be calculated. This enables the determination of allocation coefficients sent to the DSO to allocate energy and inform energy suppliers of the final energy supplied, reduced by the energy self-consumed. For this, the RECreation settlement framework is being enhanced to compute the allocation coefficients and to account for, not only compensation from consuming to generating members, but also the additional revenues generated through flexibility services. Note that, as explained in [2], dynamic allocation coefficients, are essential to enable the provision of local flexibility from the REC. Dynamic allocation coefficients are already implemented in the Portuguese and French regulatory frameworks, among others, but not yet in the Spanish one.

Figure 2 – Framework for the provision of explicit flexibility from energy communities

The second enhancement of RECreation, originally designed as a standalone platform, is its integration with the Grid Data and Business Network (GDBN) as an aggregator, by sending the baseline to the GDBN, receiving the flexibility needs, sending the flexibility bids, and activating the flexibility finally selected by the DSO, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 – RECreation integrated as aggregator with the GDBN

Figure 3 – RECreation integrated as aggregator with the GDBN

Indeed, as described in [3] and in [4], the GDBN is a digital platform designed to support the key stages of the flexibility value chain, streamlining processes and contractual agreements necessary for flexibility provision. Acting as an engagement driver, the GDBN helps unlock flexibility potential by integrating third-party services and digital platforms, including existing commercial local flexibility market (LFM) platforms. Furthermore, the GDBN offers additional services, such as flexibility activation, which are often not included in standard LFM platforms. By serving as an interoperable proxy among aggregators, LFM and DSOs, the GDBN facilitates participation in flexibility markets and ensures the seamless activation of flexibility services as requested by the DSO.

Finally, it is expected to integrate RECreation with SAP invoice management system, a definite standard for many businesses and firms. The integration of the RECreation platform with SAP’s billing system comes as one of the steps of the integration within SAPs ecosystem, which will later unlock the deployment environment to make the software available as a product in SAP’s Store. This is supported by a deployment of the RECreation platform in SAP’s operational ecosystem, designed as BTP (Business Technology Platform) which makes several services that cater for infrastructure and cloud services. Specifically, the platform will be deployed considering SAP’s Kyma Environment, a branded Kubernetes clustering option that supports a virtual and containerized deployment option, offering scalability and elasticity options that may cater for scaling the service needs if needed during service production. The approach will make each module/component of the RECreation platform an individual container. The integration with external services provided by SAP, namely the invoicing system is performed by adopting the internal invoicing service API with RECreation’s settlement mechanism, which provides information on the final balances of consumers. This information is then taken by the invoicing service that forwards the balances due by each customer through its own dissemination channels.

The Kyma environment as tool to support elasticity and modular components offers thus the scaling according to demand, together with fault-tolerance mechanisms to the GDBN and RECreation platform, ensuring industry standards compliance, up-time and configurable quality-of-service.

Conclusive remarks

This article explores how the BeFlexible project leverages the potential of energy communities for flexibility provision by integrating RECreation, INESC TEC’s platform for managing energy communities, into the value chain activities supported by the GDBN digital platform. This integration involves developing advanced procedures within RECreation’s energy management system to build flexibility bids and seamlessly transmit them to flexibility markets via the GDBN, which acts as an interoperable gateway. Additionally, it includes adapting RECreation’s database and workflows to handle flexibility-related data and optimizing the operation of energy communities by calculating the final setpoints of flexible assets to deliver the committed flexibility upon activation requests from the GDBN. Finally, integrating RECreation into robust ecosystems like SAP enhances scalability, operational efficiency, and alignment with industry standards, ensuring the platform’s readiness for broader deployment and long-term sustainability.

This article summarizes key takeaways from Deliverable 1.2, titled “Framework for a flexibility-centric energy and cross-sector value chain, business use cases and KPI definition” developed within the framework of the BeFlexible project. To access the complete document, please click here.

Stay tuned with BeFlexible by following us on LinkedIn and X!

Article references.

FutureGrid Innovation Summit

E.DSO FutureGrid Innovation Summit: transforming energy systems

On February 6, 2025, BeFlexible proudly participated in the inaugural FutureGrid Innovation Summit organized by E.DSO in Brussels. The event, themed “Advancing Grid Innovation: Growing Ideas into Impact”, brought together over 200 representatives from the energy industry, companies, associations, European institutions, projects, NGOs, and Member States and it served as a key platform for networking and exchanging ideas on the future of energy systems, focusing on advancing grid innovation.

BeFlexible on smart systems

The Summit featured three interactive panel sessions focusing on smart systems, resilience, and customer empowerment. These sessions provided a comprehensive overview of the current challenges and opportunities in the energy sector, highlighting the importance of innovation and collaboration. BeFlexible’s representative, Santiago Gallego Amores, Network Regulations Manager at i-DE, participated in the panel on smart systems.

This session addressed critical questions such as the necessary investments and technological innovations required to achieve an efficient and smart energy system. Santiago’s insights were particularly valuable in discussing the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and the role of digitalization in enhancing grid efficiency. He emphasized the importance of digitalization and the integration of renewable energy sources to create a more efficient and sustainable grid.

FutureGrid Innovation Summit

FutureGrid Innovation Summit speakers at the Panel 1 “Smart system”

Key summit highlights

  • Resilience: This session explored actions to ensure system operation in a changing environment, focusing on real-time network management, RES integration, and widespread EV charging. The discussion highlighted the need for robust infrastructure and innovative solutions to maintain grid stability and reliability.
  • Customer Empowerment: The final panel highlighted how DSOs can foster innovation and maintain flexible grids to support energy consumer empowerment. The session underscored the importance of customer-centric approaches and the role of DSOs in facilitating the transition to a more decentralized and participatory energy system.

Moving forward

BeFlexible’s participation in the E.DSO FutureGrid Innovation Summit underscores our commitment to driving innovation in the energy sector. Our involvement in the summit’s discussions and exhibitions reflects our dedication to developing smart, resilient, and customer-centric energy systems. By collaborating with industry leaders and stakeholders, BeFlexible aims to contribute to the ongoing energy transition and support the development of sustainable and efficient energy solutions.

Our future initiatives will focus on enhancing grid flexibility, promoting the integration of renewable energy sources, and empowering consumers to take an active role in the energy transition. We believe that innovation and collaboration are essential to achieving a sustainable energy future, and we are committed to leading the way in this transformative journey.

FutureGrid Innovation Summit

Santiago Gallego Amores, Network Regulations Manager at Iberdrola, representating BeFlexible during his intervention at the FutureGrid Innovation Summit.

Stay connected with BeFlexible

For more insights and updates on our activities and initiatives, follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for our upcoming events and projects as we continue to drive innovation and shape the future of energy systems.