BeFlexible, Stream, and Enflate: Shaping the future of energy together

Collaboration, innovation, and synergy for enhanced energy system flexibility

We are thrilled to introduce STREAM and ENFLATE as sibling projects of BEFLEXIBLE, funded by the European Commission (EC) under the topic “HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-02-06 – Increasing energy system flexibility based on sector-integration services to consumers”. This common funding source reflects our shared objective of enhancing energy system flexibility and promoting collaboration between Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs).

Collaboration and knowledge-sharing for common goals

BEFLEXIBLE is commited to increasing energy system flexibility, enhancing cooperation among DSOs and with TSOs and easing participation of all energy-related actors. To this end, it will work in four main areas: Markets and Regulation,Services Ecosystem, Platforms & Architecture and Customer engagement and social co-creation.

The synergy created by BEFLEXIBLE, STREAM, and ENFLATE as sibling projects enhances our ability to address cross-cutting issues, increase our impact, and drive the transition towards a more flexible and sustainable energy system. Together, we are united in our commitment to pushing the boundaries of energy innovation and delivering tangible benefits to consumers, DSOs, and TSOs.

Through joint efforts, we will not only achieve our individual project objectives but also contribute to the broader vision of creating a more flexible, consumer-centric, and sustainable energy system. By joining forces with these projects, we aim to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation in the energy sector.

Stream: Streaming flexibility to the power system

The STREAM project aims to create an innovative and robust flexibility ecosystem on the low voltage grid side of existing power markets. The project recognizes the disruption caused by the continuous addition of various prosumers, aggregators, and other service providers, which has made the traditional power market structure more complex.

STREAM project is coordinated by the University of Ljubljana (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Laboratory of Energy policy), and involves 20 partners from 6 different EU countries. It started on the 1st of October 2022 and will run for 48 months.

In the scope of the project, 6 different tools in 4 pilot sites will be demonstrated and will cover the geographical, economic, size and type of diversity of the customers. The pilot sites are located in Crevillent (Spain), Terni (Italy), City (Finland) and Ajdovščina (Slovenia).

Enflate: Enabling flexibility provision by all actors and sectors through markets and digital technologies

The ENFLATE project will build upon existing solutions on data-driven energy services and non-energy services, and replicate them in different geographies, climates and consumer needs. It will propose applicable consumer-centred flexibility platforms and test them in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, engaging local consumers, as well as authorities, service providers, manufacturers and academia. Efficient business models will be developed and tested, combining energy services with health and mobility services.

ENFLATE is led by NOVA and UBITECH ENERGY, was launched in 1 September 2022 and will run until 31 August 2026.

ENFLATE will carry out pilots in demo sites in five dispersed European countries adapting to the local energy requirements. The tools will be tested in 6 demonstration campaigns across Europe: Skiathos (Greece), Lachar (Spain), Kungsbacka (Sweden), Dragalevtsi (Bulgaria), Appenzell (Switzerland), Geneva (Switzerland).

BRIDGE Initiative: Enhancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing

By participating in the BRIDGE initiative, which brings these projects together, we will further enhance our collaboration and knowledge-sharing efforts. This initiative provides a platform for us to engage with other projects and contribute to the overall advancement of the energy sector. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of innovation and make significant strides towards a more sustainable and efficient energy system.

Driving progress for a sustainable energy system

Through these collaborations, BeFlexible, Stream, and Enflate will collectively drive progress towards a more sustainable and efficient energy system. Our shared knowledge, expertise, and commitment to innovation will pave the way for cutting-edge solutions and business models in the energy sector. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to achieving our common goals of creating a flexible, consumer-centric, and sustainable energy future.

Stay tuned for updates on our collaborative endeavours with Stream and Enflate as we work together to shape the future of energy.

You can follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn!

Collaboration, innovation, and synergy for enhanced energy system flexibility

We are thrilled to introduce STREAM and ENFLATE as sibling projects of BEFLEXIBLE, funded by the European Commission (EC) under the topic “HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-02-06 – Increasing energy system flexibility based on sector-integration services to consumers”. This common funding source reflects our shared objective of enhancing energy system flexibility and promoting collaboration between Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs).

Collaboration and knowledge-sharing for common goals

BEFLEXIBLE is commited to increasing energy system flexibility, enhancing cooperation among DSOs and with TSOs and easing participation of all energy-related actors. To this end, it will work in four main areas: Markets and Regulation,Services Ecosystem, Platforms & Architecture and Customer engagement and social co-creation.

The synergy created by BEFLEXIBLE, STREAM, and ENFLATE as sibling projects enhances our ability to address cross-cutting issues, increase our impact, and drive the transition towards a more flexible and sustainable energy system. Together, we are united in our commitment to pushing the boundaries of energy innovation and delivering tangible benefits to consumers, DSOs, and TSOs.

Through joint efforts, we will not only achieve our individual project objectives but also contribute to the broader vision of creating a more flexible, consumer-centric, and sustainable energy system. By joining forces with these projects, we aim to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation in the energy sector.

Stream: Streaming flexibility to the power system

The STREAM project aims to create an innovative and robust flexibility ecosystem on the low voltage grid side of existing power markets. The project recognizes the disruption caused by the continuous addition of various prosumers, aggregators, and other service providers, which has made the traditional power market structure more complex.

STREAM project is coordinated by the University of Ljubljana (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Laboratory of Energy policy), and involves 20 partners from 6 different EU countries. It started on the 1st of October 2022 and will run for 48 months.

In the scope of the project, 6 different tools in 4 pilot sites will be demonstrated and will cover the geographical, economic, size and type of diversity of the customers. The pilot sites are located in Crevillent (Spain), Terni (Italy), City (Finland) and Ajdovščina (Slovenia).

Enflate: Enabling flexibility provision by all actors and sectors through markets and digital technologies

The ENFLATE project will build upon existing solutions on data-driven energy services and non-energy services, and replicate them in different geographies, climates and consumer needs. It will propose applicable consumer-centred flexibility platforms and test them in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, engaging local consumers, as well as authorities, service providers, manufacturers and academia. Efficient business models will be developed and tested, combining energy services with health and mobility services.

ENFLATE is led by NOVA and UBITECH ENERGY, was launched in 1 September 2022 and will run until 31 August 2026.

ENFLATE will carry out pilots in demo sites in five dispersed European countries adapting to the local energy requirements. The tools will be tested in 6 demonstration campaigns across Europe: Skiathos (Greece), Lachar (Spain), Kungsbacka (Sweden), Dragalevtsi (Bulgaria), Appenzell (Switzerland), Geneva (Switzerland).

BRIDGE Initiative: Enhancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing

By participating in the BRIDGE initiative, which brings these projects together, we will further enhance our collaboration and knowledge-sharing efforts. This initiative provides a platform for us to engage with other projects and contribute to the overall advancement of the energy sector. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of innovation and make significant strides towards a more sustainable and efficient energy system.

Driving progress for a sustainable energy system

Through these collaborations, BeFlexible, Stream, and Enflate will collectively drive progress towards a more sustainable and efficient energy system. Our shared knowledge, expertise, and commitment to innovation will pave the way for cutting-edge solutions and business models in the energy sector. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to achieving our common goals of creating a flexible, consumer-centric, and sustainable energy future.

Stay tuned for updates on our collaborative endeavours with Stream and Enflate as we work together to shape the future of energy.

You can follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn!

The way towards BeFlexible: I-DEs role

Article by Fernando David Martín Utrilla, BeFlexible project coordinator from i-DE (Iberdrola Group)

The use of flexibility for electricity networks is currently of utmost relevance in the European energy agenda. In BeFlexible project we are aware of the importance of unlocking the potential flexibility of the distributed energy resources to provide value for DSOs and  customers.

High-level European Commission policies like the European Green Deal, Fitfor55 and the most recent REPowerEU stress the need to develop efficient mechanisms to deploy a more flexible use of energy across Europe, and particularly in electricity networks.

European policies and the call for a more flexible energy use

It is clear that the energy transition does not need innovation as usual. It is not about implementing a new technology that brings advantages for the system, but about carrying out a big transformation in  grid operation and planning processes. i-DE, Iberdola Spanish distribution company, have made a long journey to be able to assess the scalability and the feasibility of the flexibility solutions and the transformations that are needed.

So far, i-DE projects experience has brought us to a better position to understand what may come, and to help to propose regulatory needs. In the technological context, many barriers were already tackled. But in the regulatory context, we started from scratch.

In this journey, we needed to explore firstly all possible scenarios to see how this transformation could affect our processes, share experiences with other countries and keep the alignment with Europe.

That is the vision with which we faced the CoordiNet project. In this project, which ended in 2022, TSO/DSO coordination was successfully addressed. It considered different coordination schemes, the concerns of both operators and the necessary exchanges of information between them.

However, local flexibility markets for medium and low voltage networks, which are also important for us (DSOs) needed further study.

Advancing local flexibility markets

For this reason, then, in the OneNet project, that concludes at the end of this year, the approach of the Pilot was focused on the local market in the Spanish demo. The wholesale market operator is participating with us and a prototype for the local market has been developed very much in line with what was developed in the United Kingdom in terms of flexibility products for the short and long term congestion management needs.

Even all this we are testing has a basis in the needs of the networks, we cannot forget that at the center of everything is the customer.

And that is exactly the BeFlexible project approach. It is a four-year project that we started in September 2022.

BeFlexible’s Kick Off Meeting in September 2022

Putting customers at the center: BeFlexible project’s approach to incentivizing flexible solutions

The incentives for the consumers and generators are the key to the success of flexible solutions. And these incentives must be based on how solution implementation affect them.

That is why in BeFlexible we have moved the focus to what is on the other side of the markets. We are working on finding a way to have liquidity in the flexibility markets based on New Regulation, on Platforms, on Customer strategies and on the Services Ecosystem (both for system operators and for customers).

The new regulation has to define very clearly the roles of all the actors involved. Not only the new responsibilities of DSO as system operator of the distribution network, but also the responsibilities of the aggregators, flexibility providers, and other new roles that emerge such as energy communities, charging point operators, generators, suppliers, etc.

Building a regulatory framework, platforms, and service ecosystem for flexible solutions

Regarding Platforms, a proper information exchange among system operators, flexibility providers and aggregators is necessary. A grid data and business network platform (GDBN) will be developed to facilitate an adequate exchange of information for the whole value chain.

Our objective is also to ensure that there is a relevant offer to each market actor to be involved into a flexibility solution with the definition of meaningful easier-to adopt value propositions on which business models can be based. A plan to engage customers from the beginning has been defined, considering the recruiting, onboarding and servicing challenges with the proposition of customer engagement strategies.

And last but not least, the definition and adaptation of a service ecosystem offering a broad portfolio of flexibility and cross-sector solutions for end-users will be carried out.

Hopefully, we will be able to reach the end of the project with a much certain scenario on the applicability and usefulness of flexibility services, since with this new approach the needs and expectations of all actors involved are being addressed. With the development of regulatory sandboxes in parallel with the BeFlexible project we will be able to finish designing the new scenario of the flexible network required by the energy transition and European regulation.

 

Stay tuned about BeFlexible by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

 

Article by Fernando David Martín Utrilla, BeFlexible project coordinator from i-DE (Iberdrola Group)

The use of flexibility for electricity networks is currently of utmost relevance in the European energy agenda. In BeFlexible project we are aware of the importance of unlocking the potential flexibility of the distributed energy resources to provide value for DSOs and  customers.

High-level European Commission policies like the European Green Deal, Fitfor55 and the most recent REPowerEU stress the need to develop efficient mechanisms to deploy a more flexible use of energy across Europe, and particularly in electricity networks.

European policies and the call for a more flexible energy use

It is clear that the energy transition does not need innovation as usual. It is not about implementing a new technology that brings advantages for the system, but about carrying out a big transformation in  grid operation and planning processes. i-DE, Iberdola Spanish distribution company, have made a long journey to be able to assess the scalability and the feasibility of the flexibility solutions and the transformations that are needed.

So far, i-DE projects experience has brought us to a better position to understand what may come, and to help to propose regulatory needs. In the technological context, many barriers were already tackled. But in the regulatory context, we started from scratch.

In this journey, we needed to explore firstly all possible scenarios to see how this transformation could affect our processes, share experiences with other countries and keep the alignment with Europe.

That is the vision with which we faced the CoordiNet project. In this project, which ended in 2022, TSO/DSO coordination was successfully addressed. It considered different coordination schemes, the concerns of both operators and the necessary exchanges of information between them.

However, local flexibility markets for medium and low voltage networks, which are also important for us (DSOs) needed further study.

Advancing local flexibility markets

For this reason, then, in the OneNet project, that concludes at the end of this year, the approach of the Pilot was focused on the local market in the Spanish demo. The wholesale market operator is participating with us and a prototype for the local market has been developed very much in line with what was developed in the United Kingdom in terms of flexibility products for the short and long term congestion management needs.

Even all this we are testing has a basis in the needs of the networks, we cannot forget that at the center of everything is the customer.

And that is exactly the BeFlexible project approach. It is a four-year project that we started in September 2022.

BeFlexible’s Kick Off Meeting in September 2022

Putting customers at the center: BeFlexible project’s approach to incentivizing flexible solutions

The incentives for the consumers and generators are the key to the success of flexible solutions. And these incentives must be based on how solution implementation affect them.

That is why in BeFlexible we have moved the focus to what is on the other side of the markets. We are working on finding a way to have liquidity in the flexibility markets based on New Regulation, on Platforms, on Customer strategies and on the Services Ecosystem (both for system operators and for customers).

The new regulation has to define very clearly the roles of all the actors involved. Not only the new responsibilities of DSO as system operator of the distribution network, but also the responsibilities of the aggregators, flexibility providers, and other new roles that emerge such as energy communities, charging point operators, generators, suppliers, etc.

Building a regulatory framework, platforms, and service ecosystem for flexible solutions

Regarding Platforms, a proper information exchange among system operators, flexibility providers and aggregators is necessary. A grid data and business network platform (GDBN) will be developed to facilitate an adequate exchange of information for the whole value chain.

Our objective is also to ensure that there is a relevant offer to each market actor to be involved into a flexibility solution with the definition of meaningful easier-to adopt value propositions on which business models can be based. A plan to engage customers from the beginning has been defined, considering the recruiting, onboarding and servicing challenges with the proposition of customer engagement strategies.

And last but not least, the definition and adaptation of a service ecosystem offering a broad portfolio of flexibility and cross-sector solutions for end-users will be carried out.

Hopefully, we will be able to reach the end of the project with a much certain scenario on the applicability and usefulness of flexibility services, since with this new approach the needs and expectations of all actors involved are being addressed. With the development of regulatory sandboxes in parallel with the BeFlexible project we will be able to finish designing the new scenario of the flexible network required by the energy transition and European regulation.

 

Stay tuned about BeFlexible by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

 

The BRIDGE General Assembly 2023: Advancing Towards a Sustainable Energy System

Highlights and Key Discussions from the Three-Day Conference

The annual Bridge General Assembly, held in Brussels and virtually from March 28-30, 2023, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, industry representatives and policymakers. With a total of 93 projects and 53 running, the Bridge Initiative is steadily growing and will soon reach 150 projects. The assembly provided a platform for discussing the latest developments in the energy landscape and creating a sustainable, secure, affordable, and efficient energy system.

BeFlexible project participated as part of the Bridge Initiative, onsite represented by the University of Comillas (Regulation Working Group) and Zabala Innovation (Dissemination and Communication), and online participation in each of the working groups by Timelex (Regulation WG and Data Management WG), Inesctec (Business Models WG) and Soulsight (Consumer and Citizen Engagement WG), as well as the project coordinators from i-DE (Grupo Iberdrola).

Key outcomes from the BRIDGE General Assembly

The BRIDGE General Assembly was an event packed with informative sessions and engaging discussions.

On the first day, attendees gathered for a plenary session where they were presented with an overview of the work accomplished by the BRIDGE Working Groups. The plenary sessions covered various topics, including digitalizing the energy sector, data management, regulation, consumer and citizen engagement. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about completed BRIDGE projects, as well as other relevant initiatives like the ETIP SNET and Clean Energy Transition Partnership.

The second day was equally exciting, with a focus topic session on Setting up a common European data space (DS) for energy and four dedicated parallel sessions. The focus topic session featured discussions moderated by the European Commission, and the parallel sessions focused on different topics. These sessions provided attendees with the opportunity to engage in lively discussions and to learn from each other’s experiences.

On the final day of the BRIDGE General Assembly, attendees gathered for a final plenary session in the morning, where they were presented with various initiatives and completed BRIDGE projects. The session also included discussions on possible new topics for BRIDGE Working Groups.

BRIDGE Working groups progress

The Business Models Working Group has identified three outcomes:

  1. First, they plan to develop and adapt a cost-benefit analysis template that can be used to quantify the benefits of different projects and scenarios. They also plan to integrate the Bridge projects repository with the EIRIE platform, created in the context of the project PANTERA, in June 2023.
  2. Second, they aim to create a framework for measuring the social aspects of cost-benefit analysis.
  3. Finally, they recognize the lack of data available from some projects, and plan to explore regulatory sandboxes and other options to address this issue. They also plan to investigate factors that contribute to successful market adoption, as well as replication and scalability, and data valorization.

The Regulatory Working Group has identified several key topics. These include:

  • To find a balance between European harmonization and local solutions, the definition of roles and stakeholders involved in the energy transition, and the identification of barriers to flexibility.
  • They also recognize the importance of modelling locally to extrapolate to broader contexts, and plan to collaborate with consumers on priority topics.

One of the key actions undertaken by the group is led by José Pablo Chaves, Deputy Director at the Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT) of the University of Comillas, and BeFlexible partner. This action (Acton 1) focuses on improving consumers’ market access to value their flexibility. It studies the regulatory barriers for consumers that hinder the valorization of their flexibility via implicit (tariffs) and explicit (markets) flexibility mechanisms and consequently, what possible solutions are to overcome these barriers. The topics covered are:

    1. Flexibility products and services
    2. Rules for aggregation
    3. Baseline methodologies and submetering
    4. Market processes
    5. Tariff design

A detailed description of current regulatory barriers, best practices, and recommendations from the projects will be presented in the Regulation Working Group report.

BeFlexible is committed to continuing its collaboration with the Regulatory Working Group in the coming years.

The Consumer & Citizen Engagement Working Group will focus on cross-cutting topics such as energy poverty, diversity, the digital gap, and simplification of processes.

Finally, the Data Management Working Group aims to strengthen their links with the DG ENER to ensure effective coordination.

Overall, the Bridge General Assembly provided an excellent opportunity for stakeholders to come together, share ideas and best practices, and work towards a common goal of creating a sustainable and efficient energy system. The assembly showcased the importance of collaboration and cross-sectoral engagement in achieving this goal.

Highlights and Key Discussions from the Three-Day Conference

The annual Bridge General Assembly, held in Brussels and virtually from March 28-30, 2023, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, industry representatives and policymakers. With a total of 93 projects and 53 running, the Bridge Initiative is steadily growing and will soon reach 150 projects. The assembly provided a platform for discussing the latest developments in the energy landscape and creating a sustainable, secure, affordable, and efficient energy system.

BeFlexible project participated as part of the Bridge Initiative, onsite represented by the University of Comillas (Regulation Working Group) and Zabala Innovation (Dissemination and Communication), and online participation in each of the working groups by Timelex (Regulation WG and Data Management WG), Inesctec (Business Models WG) and Soulsight (Consumer and Citizen Engagement WG), as well as the project coordinators from i-DE (Grupo Iberdrola).

Key outcomes from the BRIDGE General Assembly

The BRIDGE General Assembly was an event packed with informative sessions and engaging discussions.

On the first day, attendees gathered for a plenary session where they were presented with an overview of the work accomplished by the BRIDGE Working Groups. The plenary sessions covered various topics, including digitalizing the energy sector, data management, regulation, consumer and citizen engagement. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about completed BRIDGE projects, as well as other relevant initiatives like the ETIP SNET and Clean Energy Transition Partnership.

The second day was equally exciting, with a focus topic session on Setting up a common European data space (DS) for energy and four dedicated parallel sessions. The focus topic session featured discussions moderated by the European Commission, and the parallel sessions focused on different topics. These sessions provided attendees with the opportunity to engage in lively discussions and to learn from each other’s experiences.

On the final day of the BRIDGE General Assembly, attendees gathered for a final plenary session in the morning, where they were presented with various initiatives and completed BRIDGE projects. The session also included discussions on possible new topics for BRIDGE Working Groups.

BRIDGE Working groups progress

The Business Models Working Group has identified three outcomes:

  1. First, they plan to develop and adapt a cost-benefit analysis template that can be used to quantify the benefits of different projects and scenarios. They also plan to integrate the Bridge projects repository with the EIRIE platform, created in the context of the project PANTERA, in June 2023.
  2. Second, they aim to create a framework for measuring the social aspects of cost-benefit analysis.
  3. Finally, they recognize the lack of data available from some projects, and plan to explore regulatory sandboxes and other options to address this issue. They also plan to investigate factors that contribute to successful market adoption, as well as replication and scalability, and data valorization.

The Regulatory Working Group has identified several key topics. These include:

  • To find a balance between European harmonization and local solutions, the definition of roles and stakeholders involved in the energy transition, and the identification of barriers to flexibility.
  • They also recognize the importance of modelling locally to extrapolate to broader contexts, and plan to collaborate with consumers on priority topics.

One of the key actions undertaken by the group is led by José Pablo Chaves, Deputy Director at the Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT) of the University of Comillas, and BeFlexible partner. This action (Acton 1) focuses on improving consumers’ market access to value their flexibility. It studies the regulatory barriers for consumers that hinder the valorization of their flexibility via implicit (tariffs) and explicit (markets) flexibility mechanisms and consequently, what possible solutions are to overcome these barriers. The topics covered are:

    1. Flexibility products and services
    2. Rules for aggregation
    3. Baseline methodologies and submetering
    4. Market processes
    5. Tariff design

A detailed description of current regulatory barriers, best practices, and recommendations from the projects will be presented in the Regulation Working Group report.

BeFlexible is committed to continuing its collaboration with the Regulatory Working Group in the coming years.

The Consumer & Citizen Engagement Working Group will focus on cross-cutting topics such as energy poverty, diversity, the digital gap, and simplification of processes.

Finally, the Data Management Working Group aims to strengthen their links with the DG ENER to ensure effective coordination.

Overall, the Bridge General Assembly provided an excellent opportunity for stakeholders to come together, share ideas and best practices, and work towards a common goal of creating a sustainable and efficient energy system. The assembly showcased the importance of collaboration and cross-sectoral engagement in achieving this goal.

Promoting Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Energy Industry: BeFlexible project’s commitment

The energy industry has historically been male dominated, but in recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of women working in the sector. Despite this progress, women still make up a relatively small percentage of the workforce, accounting for only 22% in oil and gas and 32% in renewable energy, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The numbers for management levels are even lower.

The Importance of Gender Diversity

This underrepresentation can be attributed to various factors, including unconscious bias, lack of female role models, and limited diversity in recruitment processes. Countries in the European Union are transitioning ambitiously to clean and renewable energy and will require innovative solutions and new business models. Greater participation from a diverse talent pool for both jobs and decision-making will be essential for success.

BeFlexible project is committed to challenging gender stereotypes and promoting diversity, with a strong representation of women in the project. Of the 138 people involved in the consortium from different countries, 60% are men and 40% are women, making it a significantly more diverse group than the energy sector as a whole. Regarding leadership, from 9 work packages, 6 are led by women and 3 are led by men.

Moreover, BeFlexible has taken a significant step towards ensuring gender-inclusive practices by creating a Gender Action Plan (Deliverable 9.5). This plan aligns with the broader European strategy of promoting gender practices to achieve our equal transition goals. A Gender Action Plan is a crucial tool that promotes gender-inclusive design and implementation of practices and solutions while raising awareness of the Gender Equality strategy guidelines and objectives set by the European Union. With the implementation of this plan, the BeFlexible project can ensure that gender perspectives are integrated into every aspect of the project development, making it more equitable and inclusive.

Supporting Women in Energy

On the International Women Day, we want to recognize the significance of inspiring girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to work towards removing any barriers to participation.

The energy industry is taking steps to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including initiatives to attract and retain more women in the sector, mentoring and leadership programs, and promoting flexible working arrangements. The European Commission has launched several initiatives to improve gender balance in the energy sector, such as the Equality platform for the energy sector. The platform aims at strengthening the commitment to equality in all its dimensions, notably by promoting workplaces that are more diverse and inclusive. It functions as a forum to discuss equality-related issues and share concrete actions that contribute to achieving equality in the energy sector.

Furthermore, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) and Women in Energy (WONY) are two non-profit associations that support the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the energy sector. These initiatives seek to foster professionalism, integrity, ethics, inclusion, diversity, and growth and development of the next generation of women leaders, executives, and professionals in the energy industry.

Benefits of Diversity

Increasing diversity in the workplace not only creates a more equitable and inclusive environment but also brings different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the workforce. Women in energy are making significant contributions to the sector, and it is important that the industry continues to support and empower them to reach their full potential. With initiatives and organizations promoting gender diversity and inclusion, the energy sector can be more sustainable and successful in the future.

The energy industry has historically been male dominated, but in recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of women working in the sector. Despite this progress, women still make up a relatively small percentage of the workforce, accounting for only 22% in oil and gas and 32% in renewable energy, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The numbers for management levels are even lower.

The Importance of Gender Diversity

This underrepresentation can be attributed to various factors, including unconscious bias, lack of female role models, and limited diversity in recruitment processes. Countries in the European Union are transitioning ambitiously to clean and renewable energy and will require innovative solutions and new business models. Greater participation from a diverse talent pool for both jobs and decision-making will be essential for success.

BeFlexible project is committed to challenging gender stereotypes and promoting diversity, with a strong representation of women in the project. Of the 138 people involved in the consortium from different countries, 60% are men and 40% are women, making it a significantly more diverse group than the energy sector as a whole. Regarding leadership, from 9 work packages, 6 are led by women and 3 are led by men.

Moreover, BeFlexible has taken a significant step towards ensuring gender-inclusive practices by creating a Gender Action Plan (Deliverable 9.5). This plan aligns with the broader European strategy of promoting gender practices to achieve our equal transition goals. A Gender Action Plan is a crucial tool that promotes gender-inclusive design and implementation of practices and solutions while raising awareness of the Gender Equality strategy guidelines and objectives set by the European Union. With the implementation of this plan, the BeFlexible project can ensure that gender perspectives are integrated into every aspect of the project development, making it more equitable and inclusive.

Supporting Women in Energy

On the International Women Day, we want to recognize the significance of inspiring girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to work towards removing any barriers to participation.

The energy industry is taking steps to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including initiatives to attract and retain more women in the sector, mentoring and leadership programs, and promoting flexible working arrangements. The European Commission has launched several initiatives to improve gender balance in the energy sector, such as the Equality platform for the energy sector. The platform aims at strengthening the commitment to equality in all its dimensions, notably by promoting workplaces that are more diverse and inclusive. It functions as a forum to discuss equality-related issues and share concrete actions that contribute to achieving equality in the energy sector.

Furthermore, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) and Women in Energy (WONY) are two non-profit associations that support the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the energy sector. These initiatives seek to foster professionalism, integrity, ethics, inclusion, diversity, and growth and development of the next generation of women leaders, executives, and professionals in the energy industry.

Benefits of Diversity

Increasing diversity in the workplace not only creates a more equitable and inclusive environment but also brings different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the workforce. Women in energy are making significant contributions to the sector, and it is important that the industry continues to support and empower them to reach their full potential. With initiatives and organizations promoting gender diversity and inclusion, the energy sector can be more sustainable and successful in the future.

Green light to the European project BeFlexible that will increase flexibility of the energy system

  • The initiative is funded by the European Commission with 10 million euros and is coordinated by i-DE, the Spanish electricity distribution company of the Iberdrola group, together with 21 partners from 7 European countries

  • The project started on 1 September and will run for 4 years

  • To test the solutions proposed by the project, twelve pilots will be carried out in 4 countries: Italy, Sweden, Spain and France

Energy Transition is a priority and new challenges are arising by the European Union to adapt the energy system to the new paradigms. The BeFlexible project was launched recently by i-DE (Iberdrola group) as coordinator in its headquarters in Bilbao and has been set up to address the challenge of accelerating the Energy Transition and fulfil the Green Deal goals.

The project, named “Boosting Engagement to Increase Flexibility“, has received funding of 10 M€ from the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme. Over its 4-year duration, BeFlexible will aim to increase the flexibility of the energy system, improve cooperation between Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and facilitate the participation of all energy-related stakeholders.

To address these challenges, the project consortium brings together 21 partners and 3 affiliated entities from 7 different European countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Denmark), including DSOs, TSOs, aggregators, R&D centres and Universities specialised in the technology applied in the solutions, industrial suppliers of smart grid technology providers and ICT developers.

BeFlexible consists of a consortium made up by: i-DE (Iberdrola Group); Iberdrola Energía España; Enel Grids (and the 3 affiliated entities Gridspertise, e-distribución and E-distribuzione ); E. ON Group; Areti; Terna; SAP; Schneider Electric; ThermoVault; STEMY Energy; RWTH Aachen University; RSE SPA; INESC TEC; ENGINEERING Group; Soulsight; Universidad Pontificia Comillas; EDSO, Smart Innovation Norway, Zabala Innovation and Timelex.

BeFlexible will also seek for synergies together with the BRIDGE community. BRIDGE is a European Commission initiative which unites Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Smart Grid, Energy Storage, Islands, and Digitalisation projects to create a structured view of cross-cutting issues which are encountered in the demonstration projects and may constitute an obstacle to innovation. The BRIDGE process fosters continuous knowledge sharing amongst projects thus allowing them to deliver conclusions and recommendations about the future exploitation of the project results, with a single voice, through four different Working Groups representing the main areas of interest: data management, business models, regulations, consumer and citizen engagement.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Currently, energy production and use account for around 72% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. The EU’s objective is to establish a modern design for the electricity market, adapted to the new commercial realities: more flexible, market-based, and better placed to integrate a higher share of renewables. The BeFlexible project is aligned with the current climate targets and the Fit for 55 packages, in addition to the Recovery Plan and the actions and roadmaps implemented by the European Technology & Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET) actions to ensure this pathway.

The renewable energy generated is increased. Moreover, there is no longer a single area of production that is then distributed in one area but is generated from more and more places and then distributed. This is affecting electricity markets. The system demands flexibility and new business models for traditional utilities and distribution companies.

BeFlexible aims to overcome existing limitations by applying versatile solutions that allow grids to adapt to upcoming scenarios. Thus, it will promote mechanisms that provide benefits to all actors in the energy market (from market operators to end users), responding to all types of consumer needs.

To this end, the BeFlexible project is based on 4 main blocks. Firstly, an analysis of markets and regulations will be carried out and a flexible framework for new business opportunities will be defined. Secondly, the definition and adaptation of the service ecosystem offering a broad portfolio of flexibility and cross-sector solutions for end-users will be carried out. The third point consists of the implementation of platforms and architectures, including the design of a Grid Business and Data Network (GDBN) and the definition of the system architecture to ensure full data interoperability. Finally, BeFlexible will focus on customer engagement and a social co-creation approach to meet the consumer’s needs.

Pilots in Italy, Sweden, Spain and France

The versatility of the concept will be demonstrated in various and diverse environments, in terms of consumer types, geographic and climatic areas and energy loads, to assess the impact of services, platforms and architectures. Consumer engagement strategies will be validated to enable appropriate interaction between all energy actors and foster market uptake.

A heterogeneous set of pilots will be deployed with demos in Italy, Sweden, Spain and France. The pilots have been selected to cover a wide range of consumer energy behaviours, grid typologies, and climate conditions. The different regulatory environments and alignment with national plans for the 2030 energy transition will allow to test the solutions for the market.

The European Project BeFlexible and next meeting points with stakeholders

BeFlexible will be presented to key players of the stakeholders of the energy sector in the next weeks like the European Utility Week (ENLIT), the hugest forum in Europe for the Industry that will held in Frankfurt from the 29th of November to the 1rst of December. In ENLIT, BeFlexible will take part in the Pavilion and programme designed together with other BRIDGE projects.