NOBEL GRID · Project

Smart Grid Software That Helps Energy Retailers and Cooperatives Cut Costs and Manage Demand

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Imagine your electricity grid is like a highway — but instead of just cars going one way, now solar panels on rooftops are sending power back, and everyone wants to charge their electric car at 6pm. NOBEL GRID built the software tools that help small and mid-size energy companies manage all this chaos. They created smart home apps, demand response systems, and new business models so energy cooperatives and retailers can offer cheaper prices while keeping the grid stable. The whole thing was tested at 5 real pilot sites across Europe, from Spain to the UK.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

real-world demonstration pilot sites

industry partners in consortium

SMEs in consortium

54%

industry ratio in consortium

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Small and mid-size energy retailers, cooperatives, and DSOs are being squeezed by the shift to distributed renewables and active consumers. They need affordable ICT tools to manage demand response, integrate solar and storage, and offer competitive pricing — but enterprise-grade smart grid platforms are built for large utilities, not for them. Without these tools, they lose customers to bigger players and cannot participate in emerging flexibility markets.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered smart home software (tested and refined through two prototypes), demand response service integration tools, distributed generation and storage interfaces, and new business models for aggregators and ESCOs. All components were demonstrated at 5 pilot sites across Europe with 56 total deliverables documenting the work.

Audience

Who needs this

Regional energy distribution system operators (DSOs) managing grid stability with growing renewable penetrationEnergy cooperatives wanting to offer smart services to their members without massive IT investmentEnergy service companies (ESCOs) building demand response and flexibility productsDemand response aggregators looking for validated business models and tested software platformsMunicipal utilities transitioning to smart grid operations with limited budgets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy retail and distribution

mid-size

Target: Small to mid-size energy retailers and DSOs

If you are a regional energy retailer struggling to integrate rooftop solar and manage peak demand — this project developed ICT tools and demand response services tested across 5 European pilot sites that let you actively involve consumers in load balancing. The platform was validated with 26 consortium partners across 11 countries, giving you a proven way to offer competitive prices while stabilizing your grid.

Energy cooperatives and community energy

SME

Target: Citizen energy cooperatives and local energy communities

If you are an energy cooperative trying to offer smart energy services to your members without enterprise-grade IT budgets — NOBEL GRID built cost-efficient software specifically for cooperatives, including a smart home prototype tested in lab and refined through a second iteration. The tools enable demand response and flexible tariffs so your members save money while you manage distributed generation from renewables.

Energy services and aggregation

any

Target: ESCOs and demand response aggregators

If you are an energy service company or aggregator looking for proven business models to monetize flexibility — this project defined and validated new business models for aggregators and ESCOs across 5 demonstration sites in Spain, UK, Greece, Belgium, and Italy. The 56 deliverables include integration of distributed generation and storage interfaces, giving you a tested blueprint to build commercial flexibility services.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt these smart grid tools?

The project's EU contribution amount is not available in the dataset, so specific development costs cannot be stated. However, the tools were designed explicitly for 'cost-efficient business models' targeting cooperatives and medium-size retailers — organizations with limited IT budgets. The smart home software went through two prototype iterations, suggesting a mature enough product for realistic cost estimation upon contact with the consortium.

Can these tools work at industrial scale across a real distribution network?

Yes — the project ran demonstrations at 5 real-world pilot sites across Europe: Alginet (Spain), UK, Greece, Belgium, and Terni (Italy). These were not lab simulations but actual grid environments with active consumer involvement. The consortium included 14 industry partners, which provided the operational infrastructure for real-scale validation.

What is the IP situation — can I license or buy this technology?

The project was an EU Innovation Action with 26 partners across 11 countries. IP is typically shared among consortium members under the grant agreement terms. To explore licensing options for the smart home software, demand response tools, or DER integration interfaces, you would need to contact the coordinator ETRA Investigación y Desarrollo or the specific partner that developed the component you need.

How does this handle renewable energy integration specifically?

The project validated integration of renewable generation presence with demand response systems. A dedicated deliverable covered integration and lab-testing of models for distributed generation and storage, including DER and storage interfaces that were refined through testing. This means the tools are designed to handle two-way power flows from rooftop solar, small wind, and battery storage.

What compliance or regulatory standards does this meet?

The project addressed EU retail electricity market requirements and was funded under the LCE-07-2014 topic focused on smart grid technologies. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not detailed, but demonstrations in 5 countries across different regulatory environments suggest the tools were designed for cross-border compliance.

Is there ongoing support or has the project ended?

The project closed in June 2018. However, with 9 SMEs and 14 industry partners in the consortium, several partners likely continued commercial development of their components. The coordinator ETRA is a Spanish R&D company that may offer continued support or commercialization paths for the technology.

How quickly could we deploy this?

The smart home software reached a second prototype stage after lab testing and refinement. Demand response services were integrated and lab-tested as documented in the deliverables. Given the technology was piloted at 5 real sites, deployment timelines would depend on your grid infrastructure, but the heavy R&D lifting is done — you would be adapting proven tools, not starting from scratch.

Consortium

Who built it

NOBEL GRID assembled a strong industry-driven consortium of 26 partners from 11 countries, with 14 industry players (54% of the group) and 9 SMEs. This is not an academic exercise — more than half the consortium are companies with commercial interests. The coordinator, ETRA Investigación y Desarrollo, is a Spanish R&D company (not a university), which signals a product-oriented mindset. With 7 research organizations and 3 universities providing scientific backbone, and demonstrations running in Spain, UK, Greece, Belgium, and Italy, the project had both the technical depth and the market diversity to produce tools that work across different European regulatory and grid environments.

ETRA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SACoordinator · ES
AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBHparticipant · AT
EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES LABORATORIES (DERLAB) EVparticipant · DE
THE SOCIETY FOR THE REDUCTION OF CARBON LIMITEDparticipant · UK
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERparticipant · UK
DNV NETHERLANDS BVparticipant · NL
ALGINET DISTRIBUCION ENERGIA ELECTRICA SOCIEDAD LIMITADAparticipant · ES
RISE SICS ABparticipant · SE
UNINOVA-INSTITUTO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DE NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS-ASSOCIACAOparticipant · PT
HYPERTECH (CHAIPERTEK) ANONYMOS VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA PLIROFORIKIS KAI NEON TECHNOLOGIONparticipant · EL
VAYON ENERGY STORAGE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
ECOPOWERparticipant · BE
ENERGIEIDthirdparty · BE
UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTIparticipant · RO
ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS - RESEARCH CENTERparticipant · EL
FUNDACIO EURECATparticipant · ES
ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPAparticipant · IT
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
ASM TERNI SPAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

ETRA Investigación y Desarrollo SA is the coordinator — a Spanish R&D company. SciTransfer can help establish a direct connection to discuss licensing or technology transfer.

Order a report on this consortium See ETRA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how NOBEL GRID's demand response tools or smart grid software could work for your energy business? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your specific use case.

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