Europe advances towards greater energy flexibility in the first year of the BeFlexible project
The initiative, funded by the European Commission, celebrates its first anniversary under the coordination of i-DE, the distribution company of the Iberdrola Group
The European project BeFlexible recently celebrated its first anniversary in the city of Porto, Portugal, marking a year of dedicated efforts to promote energy flexibility in Europe. This innovative initiative, led by i-DE, the distributor of the Iberdrola Group, brought together its consortium at the facilities of InescTec, the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology, and Science, to hold its General Assembly. With this project, the Iberdrola Group’s distributor in Spain takes a strategic step forward for the electricity distribution activity, as the promotion of flexibility is key to enabling a much more efficient use of the grids.
The BeFlexible project, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program, aims to empower the participation of “prosumers” in generating electricity from renewable sources and increase the flexibility of the entire electrical system. This initiative is intended to transform the European energy system, directing it toward a more sustainable and adaptable future, in line with the European Union’s commitments to combating climate change and promoting clean and renewable energy sources.
During the first year of the BeFlexible project, significant progress has been made in preparing and establishing the necessary procedures for its execution. BeFlexible will carry out various pilots in Italy, Sweden, Spain, and France, demonstrating the versatility of the concept in different environments, from types of consumers to geographical and climatic areas, with the aim of evaluating the impact of the proposed services, platforms, and architectures. These pilots will validate customer participation strategies and promote adoption in the market. The strategic pilots that are part of this ambitious project are in preparation and will soon begin their implementation in different European countries.
One of the highlights of this project is the close collaboration among the 21 partners and the 3 affiliated entities from 7 European countries that make up the consortium. The involvement and commitment of these partners, including DSOs, TSOs, aggregators, research and development centers, universities, and industrial technology providers, have been essential for the successful progress of BeFlexible.
Furthermore, BeFlexible collaborates closely with other projects funded under the same call, STREAM and ENFLATE, thus strengthening cooperation between initiatives that share similar objectives and challenges in the European Energy Transition. Both projects were presented at the BeFlexible General Assembly by their coordinators from the University of Ljubljana and Ubitech Energy.
The BeFlexible project aligns with the current climate goals of the European Union, the Fit for 55 package, as well as the Recovery Plan and actions and roadmaps implemented by the European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET).
Boosting engagement to increase flexibility
One of the main challenges Europe faces is the growing production of renewable energy and the need for a modern and flexible electricity market that can integrate a higher proportion of clean energy sources.
BeFlexible aims to overcome these limitations through versatile solutions that allow networks to adapt to future scenarios and promote mechanisms that benefit all players in the energy market. The BeFlexible project is based on four main blocks:
- Market and Regulation Analysis: A flexible framework for new business opportunities will be defined.
- Service Ecosystem: A wide range of flexibility solutions and cross-cutting services will be offered to end-users.
- Platforms and Architectures: A Business and Network Data (GDBN) network and system architecture will be implemented to ensure complete data interoperability.
- Customer Participation: A social co-creation approach will be adopted to meet consumer needs.
Next meeting point with stakeholders
BeFlexible is preparing for its participation in the ENLIT Europe event, one of the most relevant forums in the European energy industry. This event will take place in Paris from November 28 to 30 and will be a unique opportunity for the project to present itself to key players in the sector. At ENLIT, BeFlexible has organized a special session on November 28th titled “Unlocking Flexibility Markets: Are Customers Ready to Embrace Innovation?” where the speakers will address the crucial topic of energy flexibility. The project will also be present at the pavilion, engaging with attendees.
