Month: November 2026
OPENTUNITY engages with consumers on the benefits and motivations of energy flexibility in Graz
What would encourage consumers to shift their electricity consumption and become active participants in the energy system? Financial incentives, practical guidance and easy-to-use solutions are among the key factors.
These questions were at the centre of OPENTUNITY's participation in Markt der Zukunft, a climate and culture festival held on 6 November 2026 at Kunsthaus Graz, Austria.
Bringing together representatives from science, business, civil society, art and local initiatives, Markt der Zukunft provides a space to discuss ecological and social challenges and explore pathways towards more sustainable futures.
Representing OPENTUNITY, project partner JR took part in the event with an exhibition stand, presenting the project's work on consumer flexibility and the role end-users can play in a more flexible energy system.
Making energy flexibility understandable and accessible
Visitors had the opportunity to learn what energy flexibility means, how it can support the electricity system and which technologies can provide it. The presentation also highlighted the potential economic benefits for end-consumers and how households can move beyond being passive electricity consumers to become active participants in the energy transition.
A key part of the discussions focused on the factors that encourage or discourage consumers from offering flexibility. Understanding these motivations is essential to developing solutions that respond to people's actual needs and make participation easier.
What motivates consumers to offer flexibility?
Feedback gathered during the event highlighted several conditions that could encourage households to shift their electricity consumption:
- Clear financial benefits: consumers are more willing to adapt their consumption when they can see tangible economic savings or rewards.
- Practical guidance: concrete recommendations on when to use electricity can help consumers identify the best moments to shift their consumption.
- Simple and automated solutions: flexibility services should require minimal effort, while allowing users to override automated actions when necessary.
- Environmental awareness: concerns about climate change and the desire to contribute to a more sustainable energy system are also important motivators.
These insights underline that unlocking consumer flexibility is not only a technological challenge. It also requires understanding user behaviour, addressing practical concerns and providing clear incentives.
Through its participation in Markt der Zukunft, OPENTUNITY strengthened its engagement with the public and gathered valuable feedback to help shape more accessible and consumer-oriented flexibility solutions.
OPENTUNITY explores the potential of distributed flexibility at SST 2026
The growing number of photovoltaic (PV) systems, batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicles is transforming low-voltage electricity grids. These distributed assets offer significant flexibility potential, but how much of it can actually be used to support grid operations?
This question was at the centre of a keynote delivered by Tomi Medved from the University of Ljubljana (UL) at SST 2026 – the International Conference on Smart Systems and Technologies, held in Osijek, Croatia, from 28 to 30 October 2026.
Organised by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology Osijek (FERIT), the conference brought together around 150 participants from the scientific community, industry and policy-making sector to exchange knowledge and discuss developments in smart systems and technologies.
Unlocking flexibility in low-voltage grids
During his keynote, Tomi Medved examined the growing role of decentralised energy resources and the new opportunities they create for electricity distribution system operators (DSOs).
Smart EV charging, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions and home batteries are enabling new business models and changing how flexibility can be provided and managed. However, significant challenges remain before this potential can be fully harnessed.
In particular, making distributed flexibility accessible to DSOs requires answering several key questions:
where is flexibility located, how much is reliably available, who owns and operates these assets, and what is their actual value?
The presentation also explored mechanisms that could help address these challenges, including local flexibility markets, flexible connection agreements and appropriate regulatory frameworks. These approaches can allow DSOs to make more efficient use of existing grid capacity and potentially defer costly grid reinforcement.
OPENTUNITY's contribution to flexibility management
The keynote drew on the work carried out within OPENTUNITY, particularly the experience of its Slovenian pilot, which explores flexibility from electric vehicle fleets and household assets such as heat pumps, PV systems and batteries.
The project is developing an approach to aggregate and select flexibility from heterogeneous distributed energy resources according to the needs of DSOs. By making these resources more visible and accessible, OPENTUNITY aims to support their integration into grid operation and facilitate more efficient use of available flexibility.
The discussions at SST 2026 reinforced the growing relevance of these solutions. As the costs of PV systems and batteries continue to decrease, distributed flexibility is becoming an increasingly attractive resource for future energy systems. The interest shown by researchers and DSOs also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between the scientific community and industry.
Beyond the technical discussions, the event provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the University of Ljubljana and FERIT, while opening new avenues for exchange with the regional research and DSO community.
OPENTUNITY's participation in SST 2026 contributed to sharing the project's findings and advancing the discussion on how distributed flexibility can support smarter, more efficient and more resilient electricity grids.
OPENTUNITY Improves Transformer Monitoring at Its Slovenian Pilot Site
Three transformer stations in Ajdovščina are now equipped with sensors to monitor temperature conditions, providing Elektro Primorska with real-time data through an accessible monitoring dashboard.
As electricity distribution networks face growing demands, having better information about the condition and operation of grid assets is essential. Monitoring transformer temperatures can help distribution system operators (DSOs) gain insights into equipment performance and identify potential issues.
As part of the OPENTUNITY Slovenian pilot, Elektro Primorska (EP) has installed monitoring sensors at three transformer stations in Ajdovščina. The collected measurements are visualised through a dashboard that allows users to monitor parameters such as ambient and top-oil temperatures in real time.
Beyond the technical implementation, Elektro Primorska is also promoting awareness of the project's developments within the organisation. On 25 August 2026, the partner shared an update about the installation through its internal news platform, making information about the monitoring equipment and dashboard available to interested employees.
The initiative has already attracted attention: 214 employees have viewed the intranet news item, while the monitoring dashboard has recorded 117 accesses. This represents an opportunity to familiarise a wider group of employees with the technologies being tested through OPENTUNITY and their potential applications in everyday grid operations.
By combining sensor-based monitoring with accessible data visualisation, the Slovenian pilot is demonstrating how digital tools can support more informed asset management and contribute to smarter electricity distribution networks.
