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InterFlex · Project

Proven Grid Flexibility Solutions That Let Utilities Trade Local Energy Storage and Demand Response

energyPilotedTRL 7
interflex-h2020.com

Imagine your power grid is like a highway — when everyone drives at rush hour, you get jams. This project gave 5 major European electricity distributors the tools to manage those jams locally, by tapping into batteries, electric vehicles, and smart heating systems nearby instead of firing up expensive power plants far away. They ran 18 real-world tests across 8 countries, proving that local "flexibility markets" actually work — where businesses and homeowners get paid for adjusting their energy use when the grid needs it. Think of it as Uber for electricity: matching local supply and demand in real time.

By the numbers
18
real-world use cases tested
6
full-scale demonstration sites
5
major DSOs as demonstration hosts
8
countries involved in testing
32
consortium partners
84%
industry partner ratio
53
total project deliverables
The business problem

What needed solving

Electricity grids across Europe are hitting a wall: more solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and heat pumps are connecting every year, but the grid was built for one-way power flow from big plants to homes. Distribution operators face rising congestion costs, voltage problems, and the expensive choice between building new infrastructure or finding smarter ways to balance supply and demand locally.

The solution

What was built

The project built and tested complete flexibility solutions across 6 demonstration sites: grid automation systems, local flexibility market platforms, demand response mechanisms, energy storage integration (electricity, heat, cold), EV-to-grid systems, and microgrid controllers. Deliverables include full technical designs, implementation documentation, demonstration results with KPI evaluations, proposals for regulatory updates, and viable business models for each use case.

Audience

Who needs this

Distribution System Operators looking to defer grid reinforcement investmentsEnergy aggregators wanting proven flexibility market platformsEV charging network operators seeking vehicle-to-grid revenue modelsMunicipal utilities integrating renewables into local distribution networksEnergy storage companies needing validated grid-services business cases
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Electricity Distribution
enterprise
Target: Distribution System Operators (DSOs) managing medium and low-voltage grids

If you are a DSO struggling with grid congestion from rising solar and wind penetration — this project demonstrated 18 use cases across 8 countries showing how to automate grid operations and tap local flexibility from storage, demand response, and electric vehicles. Five major DSOs validated these solutions over 12 to 24 months of real-world testing, with deployment roadmaps ready for replication.

Energy Storage and Aggregation
any
Target: Flexibility aggregators and energy storage companies

If you are an aggregator or storage provider looking to monetize distributed assets — this project validated local flexibility markets where both distributed generation and controllable loads can be valued. Ten use cases across 4 countries proved that aggregated flexibility can be traded on local merit-order markets, giving you a tested business model for your portfolio.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
mid-size
Target: EV charging network operators and fleet managers

If you are an EV charging operator worried about grid impact from growing charging demand — this project demonstrated how electric vehicles can participate as grid flexibility resources. The 6 demonstrations showed vehicle-to-grid integration works alongside energy storage and demand response, turning your charging network from a grid burden into a revenue source.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these flexibility solutions?

The project data does not disclose specific implementation costs. However, the 6 demonstrations were designed to produce deployment roadmaps with viable business models, meaning cost-benefit analyses were part of the deliverables. Contact the coordinator for detailed cost breakdowns from the demonstration results.

Can these solutions work at industrial scale beyond pilot sites?

Yes — the project was specifically designed for scalability. Five major DSOs (CEZ distribuce, ERDF, EON, Enexis, Avacon) tested 18 use cases across 8 countries over 12 to 24 months. Replicability was studied through in-depth analysis of interchangeability and interoperability of critical technology components.

What about IP and licensing for these technologies?

With 32 consortium partners (27 from industry), IP arrangements are likely complex. The project produced 53 deliverables including solution designs and implementation details. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the specific technology providers in the consortium.

Does this comply with current EU electricity market regulations?

The demonstrations explicitly included proposals for legal, regulatory, and grid code updates as part of their results. The project was designed to inform the EU electricity market design reform, making its outputs directly relevant to current regulatory requirements like the Clean Energy Package.

How quickly could we deploy these solutions?

The project ran from 2017 to 2019, with demonstrations lasting 12 to 24 months each. Since solutions were fully implemented and tested at 6 demonstration sites, deployment timelines for replication should be significantly shorter. Deployment roadmaps for the most promising use cases were produced as outputs.

How do these solutions integrate with existing grid infrastructure?

Integration was a core design principle. The 18 use cases tested multiple integration scenarios: electricity-gas coupling, electricity-heat/cold coupling, EV integration, and microgrid contributions. The interoperability analysis across 5 different DSO networks ensures the solutions work with varied existing infrastructure.

Is technical support available for implementation?

The consortium of 32 partners includes 27 industry players and 3 research organizations. ENEDIS, the coordinator, is a major French DSO. Dissemination targeting European DSOs and the full electricity value chain was a project commitment, suggesting ongoing support channels exist.

Consortium

Who built it

InterFlex's consortium of 32 partners across 8 countries is heavily industry-driven at 84%, with 27 industry partners, 3 research organizations, and 1 university. This is unusually skewed toward commercial players — a strong signal that the results are built for deployment, not just academic publishing. The consortium is led by ENEDIS, one of Europe's largest DSOs managing 95% of France's distribution network, and includes 4 other major DSOs (CEZ distribuce, EON, Enexis, Avacon) alongside power system manufacturers, electricity retailers, and grid experts. With only 1 SME in the mix, this is a big-player consortium designed to validate solutions at real utility scale.

How to reach the team

ENEDIS is a major French distribution system operator headquartered in Paris. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right project contact.

Order a report on this consortiumSee ENEDIS profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to implement grid flexibility solutions validated by 5 European DSOs? SciTransfer can connect you with the InterFlex consortium and help you identify which of the 18 tested use cases best fits your network.

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