SHAR-Q · Project

Share Battery Storage Between Neighbors to Cut Renewable Energy Costs

energyPilotedTRL 6

Imagine your neighborhood has solar panels, but everyone bought their own expensive battery to store extra power. Most of the time, those batteries sit half-empty while the one next door is full. SHAR-Q built a platform that lets neighbors share their battery storage — like a social network, but for energy. You decide who you share with and how much, and the system figures out the cheapest way to use all available storage across the group. They tested it with 3 real pilots: residential neighborhoods, prosumer coalitions, and EV charging stations.

By the numbers

pilot demonstrations across different end-user segments

consortium partners

countries represented in the consortium

EUR 4,043,875

EU contribution to the project

major releases of the Open Interoperability Gateway API

total project deliverables

industry partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Energy storage is essential for renewable-heavy grids, but the cost of storing and retrieving energy is several times higher than using it directly from renewables. Small energy sites like prosumer microgrids and distributed generation cannot individually afford enough storage capacity to make renewables reliable. Without a way to pool and share storage across neighboring sites, each installation must over-invest in batteries that sit underused most of the time.

The solution

What was built

The project built an Open Interoperability Gateway API (delivered in 3 major releases) that connects neighboring renewable energy and storage sites into a peer-to-peer sharing network. They also developed business model services for optimal sharing of energy storage and renewables capacity, dedicated EV charging optimization services, and meteorological services for renewables. All were validated across 3 real-world pilot demonstrations.

Audience

Who needs this

Energy utilities managing distributed renewable assetsEV charging network operatorsResidential community energy managers and cooperativesVirtual power plant operatorsSmart city energy planners

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy utilities and aggregators

enterprise

Target: Regional energy utility or virtual power plant operator managing distributed renewable assets

If you are a utility or aggregator managing hundreds of small solar-plus-storage sites — this project developed an open interoperability gateway API that connects neighboring energy ecosystems into a peer-to-peer sharing network. Instead of each site operating its own storage in isolation, the platform optimizes capacity across the group. The system was validated in 3 pilots across 7 countries with 13 consortium partners.

EV charging infrastructure

mid-size

Target: EV charging network operator or fleet charging provider

If you are an EV charging operator dealing with expensive peak-demand electricity and underused local storage — this project built dedicated services for optimal charging of e-vehicles using shared renewable storage capacity. The platform connects charging stations with nearby renewable generation and storage sites, reducing grid dependency. It was demonstrated with real e-vehicle charging locations as one of 3 pilot segments.

Property development and management

any

Target: Developer or manager of residential communities with rooftop solar installations

If you are a property developer or building manager whose tenants have rooftop solar but struggle with high storage costs — this project created a social-network-style platform where residents control exactly who they share storage capacity with. The business models developed by the consortium prove how neighborhoods of distributed renewable energy sites can cut per-unit storage costs by pooling capacity instead of each household buying oversized batteries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this sharing platform?

The project does not publish per-unit deployment costs. The total EU contribution was EUR 4,043,875 across 13 partners over 3 years, covering R&D and 3 pilot demonstrations. The open API approach and use of existing standards should reduce integration costs compared to proprietary solutions.

Can this scale beyond small neighborhoods to city-wide or regional networks?

The architecture is designed as a peer-to-peer network connecting 'neighbourhooding ecosystems,' which can grow organically. The 3 pilots tested different scales: distributed RES neighborhoods, prosumer coalitions, and EV charging locations. Based on available project data, the interoperability gateway uses open standards, which supports broader adoption.

Who owns the IP and can I license the technology?

The project coordinator is ATOS SPAIN SA, a major IT services company. The gateway API is described as 'open' with publicly available API references and source code. Licensing terms would need to be discussed with the consortium, but the open approach suggests favorable access conditions.

Does this comply with EU energy market regulations?

The system was designed around adopted standards in the energy interoperability field and tested in 7 EU countries (AT, CZ, DE, EL, ES, PT, SK). The business models were specifically developed to prove viability within current regulatory environments. Based on available project data, the collaborative models were validated through the 3 pilot demonstrations.

How long would integration take with our existing energy management system?

The project delivered an Open Interoperability Gateway API with sample adapters across 3 major releases, each refined through integration and validation activities. The use of semantic interface descriptors and standard-based design means existing systems can connect through adapters rather than full replacement.

What happens if participants game the system or free-ride on shared storage?

Users control their own contribution to the collaborative models, choosing exactly who they share specific storage capacities with — similar to privacy settings on social media. The business model deliverables specifically address the viability of these collaborative arrangements. Based on available project data, the 3 pilots tested this with real end-users across different segments.

Is this ready for commercial deployment today?

The project closed in October 2019 after completing 3 pilot demonstrations and delivering 3 releases of the gateway API. While piloted and validated, commercial deployment would likely require further productization. The coordinator ATOS has the scale and capability to support commercialization efforts.

Consortium

Who built it

The SHAR-Q consortium has a strong industry orientation with 8 out of 13 partners from industry (62%), including 3 SMEs, complemented by 1 university and 2 research organizations. The coordinator is ATOS SPAIN SA, a major European IT services company with deep expertise in platform development and system integration — a credible lead for bringing an interoperability platform to market. The 7-country spread (AT, CZ, DE, EL, ES, PT, SK) covers central, southern, and eastern European energy markets with diverse regulatory environments, which strengthens the platform's cross-border applicability. The high industry ratio suggests the technology was developed with commercial deployment in mind rather than pure academic research.

ATOS SPAIN SACoordinator · ES
ENERGIE GUSSING GMBHparticipant · AT
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
BAVENIR SROparticipant · SK
CLUSTER DE ENERGIAparticipant · ES
ENERCOUTIM - ASSOCIACAO EMPRESARIALDE ENERGIA SOLAR DE ALCOUTIMparticipant · PT
DIACHEIRISTIS ELLINIKOU DIKTYOU DIANOMIS ELEKTRIKIS ENERGEIAS AEparticipant · EL
UBIMET GMBHparticipant · AT
EUROPAISCHES ZENTRUM FUR ERNEUERBARE ENERGIE GUSSING GMBHparticipant · AT
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES SROthirdparty · SK
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES IBERIA SLthirdparty · ES
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

ATOS SPAIN SA is the coordinator. Contact their energy or smart grid division for licensing and deployment inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See ATOS SPAIN SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the SHAR-Q team about deploying shared storage optimization in your energy network? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right technical and business contacts in the consortium.

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