BD4NRG · Project

Big Data Platform Helping Energy Companies Predict Grid Failures and Share Data Securely

energyPilotedTRL 8

Imagine dozens of energy companies — grid operators, solar farm owners, battery storage firms — all sitting on mountains of data but unable to share it because of privacy and competition concerns. BD4NRG built a shared analytics platform where everyone can get smart predictions without exposing their raw data to each other, like a group study session where you learn from everyone's notes without seeing their private diary. They tested it across 13 real-world energy pilots, from transmission operators to local energy communities, covering the entire energy chain. The result is a toolbox that spots grid problems before they happen and helps optimize everything from renewable assets to power markets.

By the numbers

large-scale energy pilots deployed across the value chain

consortium partners across 14 countries

TRL 7-8

maturity level of the deployed BD4NRG platform

TRL 8

maturity level of the open modular big data analytic toolbox

total project deliverables produced

industry partners in the consortium

SMEs participating in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Energy companies are drowning in operational data from smart meters, grid sensors, and renewable assets, but cannot effectively analyze it — especially across company boundaries where data sharing is blocked by privacy rules and competitive concerns. This means grid failures go unpredicted, renewable assets underperform, and energy markets operate on incomplete information. The result is wasted energy, unnecessary outages, and missed revenue from suboptimal asset management.

The solution

What was built

A TRL 8 open modular big data analytics toolbox for the energy sector, backed by privacy-preserving federated learning, blockchain-based data governance, and edge AI capabilities. The platform was validated through 13 large-scale pilots with real energy operators — from transmission grid operators to local energy communities — and supports B2B multi-party data exchange while keeping each party's data sovereign.

Audience

Who needs this

Transmission and distribution system operators (TSOs/DSOs) wanting predictive grid managementRenewable energy and battery storage operators optimizing asset performanceEnergy service companies (ESCOs) building data-driven analytics offeringsPower market operators seeking better demand and price forecastingMunicipalities and local energy communities managing distributed energy resources

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Power Grid Operations

enterprise

Target: Transmission and distribution system operators (TSOs/DSOs)

If you are a grid operator dealing with unpredictable loads from distributed renewables and struggling to prevent outages — this project developed an edge AI-based analytics platform validated across 13 large-scale pilots that delivers predictive and prescriptive insights for grid asset management and reliability improvement, without requiring you to expose sensitive operational data to third parties.

Renewable Energy

any

Target: Solar, wind, and battery storage asset operators

If you are a renewable energy operator dealing with suboptimal asset performance and difficulty coordinating with grid operators — this project built a federated learning system tested at TRL 7-8 that analyzes performance data across multiple sites while preserving data privacy, helping you optimize generation output and participate more effectively in energy markets.

Energy Services

SME

Target: Energy service companies (ESCOs) and energy analytics startups

If you are an energy service company looking to offer data-driven analytics to utility clients but lack the infrastructure — this project delivered a TRL 8 open modular big data analytic toolbox that acts as a one-stop-shop for building analytics services by orchestrating existing data, computing resources, models, and algorithms from multiple parties.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this platform?

The project does not publish licensing fees or subscription costs. The TRL 8 toolbox is described as open and modular, which typically means lower barriers to entry than proprietary solutions. Contact the coordinator for specific pricing and deployment options.

Can this work at industrial scale?

Yes. The platform was validated through 13 large-scale pilots involving real energy operators including TSOs, DSOs, aggregators, storage operators, local energy communities, ESCOs, power market operators, and municipalities. The architecture was designed to be scalable from edge devices to cloud infrastructure.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project was an Innovation Action (IA) under Horizon 2020, meaning IP typically stays with the consortium partners who developed it. The toolbox is described as open and modular, suggesting components may be available under open-source or partnership licensing. Contact Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA for specific terms.

Does this comply with energy data regulations?

The platform was specifically designed to address regulatory barriers to data sharing in the energy sector. It includes sovereignty-preserving data governance using blockchain and off-chain mechanisms, plus privacy-preserving federated learning — meaning data stays with its owner while insights are shared.

How long would integration take?

Based on available project data, the platform aligns with existing smart grid standards including SAREF and COSMAG specifications, and provides interoperability with FIWARE and IDSA architectures. This standards alignment should reduce integration time for organizations already using these common energy IT systems.

Is there ongoing support or a community?

The project established the SGBDAA Alliance (Smart Grid Big Data Analytics Alliance) to federate new energy data providers and attract SMEs for novel energy services. This alliance was designed to outlive the project and provide ongoing ecosystem support, including cascading funding opportunities for SMEs.

What data standards does this support?

The platform aligns with BDVA SRIA, IDSA, and FIWARE architectures, extends the COSMAG specification for B2B multi-party data exchange, and is fully interoperable with SAREF standards and existing smart grid operational systems. This broad standards coverage means it fits into most European energy IT ecosystems.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight consortium: 38 partners from 14 countries, with a strong 61% industry ratio (23 industry partners) signaling serious commercial intent. The coordinator, Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA, is one of Italy's largest IT companies with deep expertise in digital platforms for utilities. With 10 SMEs in the mix, there is both enterprise muscle for large-scale deployment and startup agility for niche services. The 4 universities and 5 research organizations provide the analytical backbone. The geographic spread across 14 countries — including major energy markets like Germany, Spain, Netherlands, and Italy — means the platform was tested under diverse regulatory and grid conditions, making it more adaptable for any European energy company.

ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPACoordinator · IT
ELEKTRO LJUBLJANA PODJETJE ZADISTRIBUCIJO ELEKTRICNE ENERGIJE D.D.participant · SI
AJUNTAMIENTO DE SANT CUGAT DEL VALLESparticipant · ES
PANEPISTIMIO DYTIKIS ATTIKISparticipant · EL
EUROPEAN DYNAMICS ADVANCED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS SAthirdparty · EL
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACAO EM ENERGIA REN - STATE GRID SAparticipant · PT
STICHTING EGIparticipant · NL
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONparticipant · EL
INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUMparticipant · BE
OSMANGAZI ELEKTRIK DAGITIM ANONIM SIRKETIparticipant · TR
INTERNATIONAL DATA SPACES EVparticipant · DE
ENERCOUTIM - ASSOCIACAO EMPRESARIALDE ENERGIA SOLAR DE ALCOUTIMparticipant · PT
EUROPEAN DYNAMICS LUXEMBOURG SAparticipant · LU
CINTECH SOLUTIONS LTDparticipant · CY
EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OPERATORS FOR ELECTRICITY AISBLparticipant · BE
UNINOVA-INSTITUTO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DE NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS-ASSOCIACAOparticipant · PT
ATOS SPAIN SAparticipant · ES
REN - REDE ELECTRICA NACIONAL SAparticipant · PT
UBIMET GMBHparticipant · AT
TERRASIGNA SRLparticipant · RO
FIWARE FOUNDATION EVparticipant · DE
VEOLIA SERVICIOS LECAM SOCIEDAD ANONIMA UNIPERSONALparticipant · ES
CENTRICA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS BELGIUMparticipant · BE
FUNDACION CARTIFparticipant · ES
EMOTION SRLparticipant · IT
ENEL X SRLparticipant · IT
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES IBERIA SLthirdparty · ES
VIDES INVESTICIJU FONDS SIAparticipant · LV
ELES DOO OPERATER KOMBINIRANEGA PRENOSNEGA IN DISTRIBUCIJSKEGA ELEKTROENERGETSKEGA OMREZJAparticipant · SI
HOLISTIC IKEparticipant · EL
COMSENSUS, KOMUNIKACIJE IN SENZORIKA, DOOparticipant · SI
E-LEX - STUDIO LEGALEparticipant · IT
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI
ASM TERNI SPAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA (Italy) — one of Italy's largest IT firms specializing in digital platforms for energy and utilities

Order a report on this consortium See ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how BD4NRG's big data analytics platform could work for your energy operations? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific use case.

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