BeFlexible final event showcases proven path to scaling energy flexibility in Europe
The BeFlexible Final Event, held at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, brought together policymakers, industry leaders and researchers to present the project’s key results and outline a clear roadmap for scaling energy flexibility across Europe.
After four years of collaboration, BeFlexible has demonstrated that energy flexibility is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical and scalable solution capable of delivering real value to both consumers and the electricity grid. “The project provides concrete evidence that flexibility can deliver value for both the grid and consumers, paving the way for its large-scale deployment,” explains David Martín, DSO Role Responsible in Spain at i-DE and Project Coordinator.
The project outcomes were shared during BeFlexible’s Final Event, held in Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid. The event brought together a diverse and participative audience -including policymakers, industry representatives and researchers- and served as a space to reflect on lessons learned and discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The day opened with a welcome by Jesús Jiménez, Dean of the ICAI School of Engineering at Comillas Pontifical University, who emphasised the importance of closer collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers to effectively advance the energy transition. Eva Mancera, CEO of i-DE, Iberdrola Group’s electricity distribution company, stressed:
“Flexibility solutions in Europe are ready to move from pilots to implementation and become a real driver of the energy transition, supported by the necessary investment in grids. BeFlexible started at the right time and is also finalised at the right time, bringing convincing solutions to use flexibility at scale”,
The project was honoured to count with some words from Paloma Aba Garrote, Director of CINEA, who highlighted the value of projects like BeFlexible in showcasing the impact of Horizon Europe and innovation funding, and expressed her appreciation to the consortium for their work and their contribution to advancing energy flexibility in Europe. [Watch here the full speech]
From real-life pilots to system-wide impact
At the core of the event were the results from BeFlexible’s large-scale pilots, which have validated how a wide range of assets — including water systems, thermal loads, electric mobility and energy communities —can provide flexibility to the system, supported by digital solutions like the Grid Data and Business Network (GDBN), a digital framework developed within the project to enable interoperability and coordination across the flexibility value chain.
During the event, representatives from the three demonstration areas — South-Mid Europe (Italy), North Europe (Sweden) and South-West Europe (Spain and France) — shared first-hand insights from their experience. The discussion featured Carolina Manaresi (Enel), Adam Christensson (E.ON) and Beatriz Alonso (i-DE), and was moderated by Anastasia Skapoula (E.DSO).
Beyond sharing results, the discussion delved into how local conditions (regulatory, geographic, climatic, types of consumers) influenced the design and performance of flexibility solutions in each pilot. A strong focus was placed on congestion management and the coordination between TSOs and DSOs. A common message emerged:
Scaling flexibility will depend not only on technology, but also on the ability to adapt solutions to local contexts, build trust with end users, and ensure coordination across actors and market layers.
Scaling flexibility: regulatory roadmap and consumer role
The role of consumers and regulation took centre stage in the discussion between José Pablo Chaves and Matteo Troncia (Comillas Pontifical University, which leads BeFlexible’s regulatory work), Leandro Lind (European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, ACER) and Charles Esser (E.DSO), moderated by Susana Garayoa (Zabala Innovation).
BeFlexible’s findings show that financial incentives alone are not enough. Long-term customer engagement depends on combining economic benefits with simplicity, trust and clear communication. The project identified different consumer profiles:
- 46% value a balanced mix of economic, environmental and educational benefits
- 22% are primarily motivated by social and environmental impact
- 19% prioritise financial rewards and convenience
These insights underline the need for tailored engagement strategies to effectively activate demand-side flexibility.
In the regulation field, participants highlighted the importance of evolving regulatory frameworks to cope with increasing uncertainty in the energy system. In this context, BeFlexible presented a regulatory roadmap for electricity distribution, proposing a step-by-step approach towards more adaptive and efficient schemes.
“Scaling flexibility requires both regulatory clarity and a better understanding of consumer behaviour. Our findings show that coordinated market design and tailored engagement strategies are essential to unlock flexibility at scale across Europe,” José Pablo Chaves, Deputy Director for Research Development at the University of Comillas.
The BeFlexible Final Event marks the culmination of a collaborative effort that started in 2022 and will conclude in August 2026. The project brings together a 20 partners from 7 countries. From the outset, BeFlexible set out to strengthen flexibility in Europe’s energy system by bridging regulatory frameworks, market models, digital platforms and consumer participation. The data and experience gathered throughout the project are shaping BeFlexible’s final recommendations, contributing to stronger evidence base for scaling flexibility solutions, while also feeding into ongoing dialogue at European level and contributing to knowledge exchange in platforms such as the BRIDGE initiative from the European Comission.
