I-GReta

 

Intelligent FIWARE-based Generic Energy Storage Services for Environmentally Responsible Communities and Cities: The goal of I-GReta is to develop solutions for planning and operation of highly flexible energy systems benefitting from storage capacities. These will be capable of integrating high shares of renewables in regional and local energy networks via demand flexibility, forecasting of buildings and control based on large-scale optimization of electrical, heating and cooling consumption.

 

With a consortium of 17 partners and associated partners, from Austria, Germany, Sweden and Romania, the project can benefit from a variety of skills and multiple trial site applications. Especially the combination of social science and engineering in one project supports a holistic approach that takes into account what is technically necessary and at the same time sets a focus on a human-centred approach including the behaviour analysis and the impact on the daily lives of customers.

The project is building on the outcomes of the FISMEP project and is further developing its FIWARE-based platform. I-GReta is coordinated by the Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems (ACS) at RWTH Aachen University. During the project, five different trial sites in four countries are connected via a professional FIWARE based IT platform. Occupants, owners and system operators will participate and assess the operation of their own systems in a Virtual Smart Grid based on the platform. A key use case is the trading of storage capacity via the platform. Thermal and electrical storage solutions in the trail sites will additionally provide high value and immense impact potential in the local perspective.

The focus of ACS will be on the platform and the information and communication technology needed in this project. The integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into the platform is made possible by a close cooperation with Mercedes Benz Energy. Digital twins provide insight into the status of the BESS as well as other systems such as cooling and heating which are used to optimize heating in the buildings and utilization of BESS. Finally, the German trial site in Aachen, utilizing University buildings, will demonstrate the optimized coupling of building heating applications with electrical energy storage systems in a hybrid setup which combines real building and battery systems with real-time simulations.

 

This project has received funding in the framework of the joint programming initiative ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems’ focus initiatives Smart Grids Plus and Integrated, Regional Energy Systems, with support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No 646039 and 775970.