Meeting OPENTUNITY at ENLIT 2023
Meeting OPENTUNITY at ENLIT 2023
02/10/2023
Are you planning to attend the Enlit Europe 2023 Conference? If so, don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the OPENTUNITY team at the EU Projects Zone of Enlit Europe Conference, scheduled for November 28-30 in Paris, as well as during the Hub sessions!
During the three-day event, visitors can visit OPENTUNITY at booth 7.2.H80-16. Moreover, OPENTUNITY’s project coordinator will be presenting the goals, benefits, and impact of the project as part of a special session highlighting the newly launched Horizon Europe projects within the BRIDGE initiative.
Enlit serves as a prestigious energy forum that brings industries together, ignites actionable insights, and contributes to the transformation of Europe’s energy landscape into a decarbonized and digitalized system for the energy transition. The forum covers a wide spectrum of topics in the energy agenda, ranging from decarbonizing industries and transportation to power generation and energy storage.
This gathering is set to take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and anticipates the participation of 12,000 attendees, more than 700 international exhibitors, and over 500 speakers. The event will also feature an EU Projects Zone, where various Horizon Energy and LIFE CET projects managed by CINEA will be showcased.
OPENTUNITY Welcomes European Commissioner for Energy at EUSEW 2023
OPENTUNITY Welcomes European Commissioner for Energy at EUSEW 2023
22/06/2023
In a remarkable moment, the OPENTUNITY team had the distinct honor of hosting Kadri Simson, the Commissioner for Energy of the European Commission, at their booth during the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW 2023). This exciting encounter took place within the ETRA’s booth, where OPENTUNITY’s mission and objectives were showcased.
The OPENTUNITY team, alongside our colleagues from ETRA, had the privilege of introducing Commissioner Simson to the core objectives of our project. We elaborated on how OPENTUNITY is poised to revolutionize the integration of distributed flexibility systems, such as batteries and electric vehicles, while simultaneously pioneering new market mechanisms within the European Smart Grids.
Commissioner Simson displayed a keen interest in the promising future of our technologies. She eagerly anticipates witnessing how these innovations will bolster grid flexibility, providing vital support to intermittent renewable energy sources.
Moreover, during the event, our project coordinator took part in the session “Smart Grids: Supporting the Integration of Renewable Energy Sources and the Transition to Clean Energy” (replay it here!). In this session, he emphasised the critical significance of establishing a Common EU Reference Framework for energy-saving applications across the European Union. This framework will play a pivotal role in the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.
Beyond the insightful session and networking opportunities within the exhibition area, OPENTUNITY had the privilege of connecting with Areti Ntaradimou from Enlit Europe. Our project coordinator engaged in a video interview, addressing the pressing topic of decarbonising EU grids and OPENTUNITY’s pivotal role in this transformative journey.
This momentous encounter with Commissioner Simson and the invaluable discussions that transpired during EUSEW 2023 underscore OPENTUNITY’s commitment to shaping a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for Europe and beyond.
OPENTUNITY Team Explores Greek Pilot Site
OPENTUNITY Team Explores Greek Pilot Site
12/05/2023
Between 9-10 May, The OPENTUNITY consortium marked Europe Day in Athens with the 2nd Plenary Meeting of the project, providing an excellent opportunity for in-depth discussions and idea exchange regarding the project’s ongoing progress alongside the partners. The gathering served as a catalyst for continued collaboration, ensuring substantial headway in the project’s development.
A key highlight of this gathering was the visit to the ΔΕΔΔΗΕ Α.Ε. HEDNO S.A. facilities in Athens, which afforded the consortium a more comprehensive understanding of our pilot site in Greece.
Situated in Mesogia, in the southeastern part of Attica near Athens, the Greek pilot site is home to the Markopoulo Substation. This substation, situated at the confluence of the transmission and distribution systems, transforms voltage from the 150kV (part of TS) level to the 20kV level (part of DS). Its purpose is to supply power to 2812 residences and 123 commercial establishments.
The site boasts three 150kV/20kV transformers, each with a rated apparent power of 40/50MVA, adequately meeting the load requirements of the connected consumers. To support voltage, a capacitor bank with a capacity of 24MVar is deployed on the MV side. The pilot exhibits an impressive 27.043 MW of photovoltaic plants connected to the distribution network. HEDNO, as the DSO, IPTO as the TSO, and ICCS as the IT supporter are the principal partners involved in this endeavor.
What advantages will OPENTUNITY bring to this pilot?
Primarily, the project will enhance network observability by implementing OPENTUNITY’s topology identification and state estimation techniques in grid areas with limited monitoring equipment. This enhancement supports more intelligent grid management across the entire network.
The pilot will also introduce new planning methodologies, employing OPENTUNITY’s grid planning optimization to accommodate the integration of new distributed renewable energy sources (RES) and to facilitate the integration of electromobility and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) into the grid.
Additionally, the pilot will conduct local flexibility market testing with the assistance of Flexibility Market Operator NODES, responsible for operating the local market and managing interactions between the DSO and flexibility providers.
Lastly, TSO/DSO collaboration will be fortified through enhanced data sharing utilizing the OPENTUNITY blockchain. This ensures efficient and cyber-secure data exchange, ultimately promoting more harmonious grid management between medium-voltage (MV) and high-voltage (HV) lines.
OPENTUNITY Showcases at EUSEW 2023
OPENTUNITY Showcases at EUSEW 2023
02/05/2023
OPENTUNITY, an avant-garde energy initiative led by ETRA I+D, is set to captivate attendees at the Energy Fait of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW 2023) in Brussels from June 20th to 22nd. OPENTUNITY Horizon EU project aims to revolutionize the energy sector by fostering a digital ecosystem that enhances energy efficiency in electricity grids, benefitting active consumers of all scales while significantly reducing energy costs.
OPENTUNITY Showcases at EUSEW 2023
Under the spotlight at the Energy Fair during EUSEW 2023, OPENTUNITY will showcase its latest ground-breaking developments, poised to redefine the energy landscape. As an advanced platform, OPENTUNITY paves the way for energy sector stakeholders to optimize their operations, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and digital tools. This transformative project empowers participants to enhance energy efficiency, thus driving down costs and forging a sustainable future.
ETRA I+D, spearheading the OPENTUNITY project, brings its extensive expertise and collaborative approach to the forefront, fostering invaluable partnerships and knowledge exchange. Through its unwavering commitment to innovation, ETRA I+D and OPENTUNITY are set to present a compelling vision of the future of energy at EUSEW 2023.
The new Opentunity project will open electricity ecosystems towards a real EU decarbonization
The new Opentunity project will open electricity ecosystems towards a real EU decarbonization
15/01/2023
On 1st January 2022, the new project OPENTUNITY on “opening the electricity ecosystem to multiple actors in order to have a real decarbonization opportunity”, funded by the Horizon Europe Programme with 8.5M€ and set for 4 years, was launched. This project, coordinated by ETRA, will be driven by a consortium of 21 partners in 8 countries throughout Europe.
The new Opentunity project will open electricity ecosystems towards a real EU decarbonization
OPENTUNITY aims to create a flexibility ecosystem reducing interoperability barriers and favouring the use of standards in order to decarbonize EU grids and put the end-user in the spotlight. Grid operators, prosumers, market actors, among others will be supported by OPENTUNITY via innovative methodologies backed by advanced, interoperable software to provide them with new features and services related to technologies to boost flexibility in prosumer’s environments and technologies for grid operators to better manage grid operations.
This will be done through the deployment of thirteen innovations than can be divided in four categories: technologies to boost flexibility in Prosumer’s environment; supporting Technologies for DSOs/TSOs to better manage grid issues; energy-specific Blockchain for supporting new grid mechanisms; and procedures for enhancing interoperability.
Through the demonstration and integration of the innovative solutions proposed by OPENTUNITY, it will be possible to create a synergic energy ecosystem where grid operators will have better technology tools and the prosumers will be able to unlock the potential of their energy assets.
OPENTUNITY will be demonstrated by the end-users of the project (4 DSOs, 1 TSO, 1 Retailer and 1 Aggregator) with the support of the technical partners. These solutions will be tested and validated in 4 different EU Countries: Greece, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland, benefitting 26.852 citizens and reducing 91,22 MtCO2eq GHG emissions and energy poverty by 30% by 2032. The project could imply a reduction of 30% in energy bills leading to a reduction in energy prices up to 5 cts/kWh in Greece, 4,98 cts/kWh in Slovenia, 6,9 cts/kWh in Spain and 6 cts/kWh in Switzerland.