SmarterEMC2 · Project

ICT Tools That Let Electricity Customers and Renewables Actively Trade on the Grid

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Imagine your power grid is like a one-way highway — electricity flows from big plants to your home, and you just pay the bill. Now picture adding solar panels, batteries, and smart devices that can push energy back or shift when they use it. SmarterEMC2 built the software and communication tools that let all these new players actually participate in the electricity market — buying, selling, and balancing power automatically. They tested it with 3 real-world pilots and 3 lab simulations across 6 countries to prove the existing telecom networks can handle it at scale.

By the numbers

Real-world pilot demonstrations

Laboratory large-scale simulations

Consortium partners

Countries represented

EUR 3,072,655

EU contribution

Project deliverables produced

55%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Electricity grids across Europe are being flooded with renewable energy from thousands of small sources — rooftop solar, wind farms, batteries — but the market systems and communication tools needed to actually trade and balance all this distributed energy don't exist at scale. Utilities and grid operators are stuck with infrastructure designed for one-way power flow, leaving billions in flexible energy capacity untapped.

The solution

What was built

The project built ICT tools for Demand Response and Virtual Power Plant services, compatible with EU smart grid standards (SGAM, IEC 62325-351, IEC 61850). These were validated through 3 real-world pilots and 3 laboratory simulations, producing 19 deliverables including a demonstration of smart data aggregation approaches in a smart grid lab.

Audience

Who needs this

Distribution System Operators (DSOs) integrating high volumes of renewablesEnergy aggregators building Virtual Power Plant portfoliosTelecom companies providing communication infrastructure for smart gridsCommercial facility managers wanting to monetize demand flexibilityEnergy market platform developers needing standards-compliant tools

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy Utilities & Distribution

enterprise

Target: Distribution System Operators (DSOs) managing grid infrastructure

If you are a distribution network operator dealing with rising renewable energy on your grid and struggling to balance supply and demand — this project developed ICT tools for Demand Response and Virtual Power Plant management that were validated in 3 real-world pilots across 6 countries. The tools follow European smart grid standards (IEC 62325-351, IEC 61850), meaning they plug into your existing infrastructure without proprietary lock-in.

Energy Retail & Aggregation

mid-size

Target: Energy aggregators and Virtual Power Plant operators

If you are an energy aggregator trying to bundle distributed generation and flexible loads into tradeable packages — this project built market-facing software compatible with the EU Smart Grid Architecture Model. The tools were tested for massive-scale deployment using 3 laboratory simulations, proving that existing telecom infrastructure can support the communication load of thousands of distributed assets.

Building Management & Smart Facilities

any

Target: Commercial property managers with large energy footprints

If you are a facility manager looking to monetize your building's flexibility — shifting HVAC, lighting, or EV charging to earn revenue from demand response programs — this project developed customer-side participation tools that let end users actively engage in the electricity market. The 3 real-world pilots demonstrated how buildings can become active grid participants rather than passive consumers.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these smart grid ICT tools?

The project received EUR 3,072,655 in EU funding across 11 partners over 3 years. Based on available project data, specific licensing or per-unit costs are not disclosed. As an Innovation Action with industry-majority consortium, commercialization pricing would depend on the implementing partner.

Can these tools work at industrial scale across a real grid?

Yes — the project specifically tested scalability through 3 real-world pilots and large-scale simulations in 3 laboratories. The lab simulations were designed to reveal whether existing communication networks can support massive uptake of Demand Response and Virtual Power Plant services.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The consortium includes 6 industry partners led by INTRACOM Telecom (Greece), a major telecom solutions provider. Based on available project data, IP arrangements would be governed by the consortium agreement. Interested companies should contact consortium members directly for licensing terms.

Is this compatible with European grid standards?

The project was explicitly designed around the EU Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) from the CEN/CENELEC/ETSI mandate M/490. It also proposed adaptations to IEC 62325-351 (market standards) and IEC 61850 (field-level standards), meaning the tools are built for regulatory compliance from day one.

How long would deployment take?

The project ran from January 2015 to December 2017 and produced 19 deliverables including pilot demonstrations. Based on available project data, a utility or aggregator could potentially adopt the validated tools and adapt them to local conditions, though specific deployment timelines are not documented.

Does this integrate with existing telecom infrastructure?

A core research question was whether existing telecommunication infrastructure can support smart grid services at mass scale. The 3 laboratory simulations specifically tested this, and the project's communication architecture was designed to work over standard telecom networks rather than requiring dedicated infrastructure.

Consortium

Who built it

The 11-partner consortium spans 6 countries (Denmark, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, UK) with a strong industry tilt — 6 out of 11 partners (55%) are from industry, complemented by 2 universities and 2 research organizations. The coordinator, INTRACOM Telecom from Greece, is an established telecom solutions company (not an SME), which gives the project credibility for real-world deployment. The geographic spread covers both mature energy markets (Denmark, UK, Italy) and emerging ones (Turkey), suggesting the tools were designed for diverse regulatory environments. The absence of SMEs in the consortium may indicate the technology targets utility-scale adoption rather than startup-driven disruption.

INTRACOM SINGLE MEMBER SA TELECOM SOLUTIONSCoordinator · EL
ELEKTRIK DAGITIM HIZMETLERI DERNEGI(ELDER)participant · TR
THALES ITALIA SPAparticipant · IT
INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIAparticipant · PT
UNIVERSITY OF DURHAMparticipant · UK
DIACHEIRISTIS ELLINIKOU DIKTYOU DIANOMIS ELEKTRIKIS ENERGEIAS AEparticipant · EL
FUJITSU LABORATORIES OF EUROPE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
ORGANISMOS TILEPIKOINONION TIS ELLADOS OTE AEparticipant · EL
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
AALBORG UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

INTRACOM Telecom (Greece) — reach out through their corporate website or request an introduction through SciTransfer

Order a report on this consortium See INTRACOM SINGLE MEMBER SA TELECOM SOLUTIONS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how SmarterEMC2's demand response and virtual power plant tools could fit your grid operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help evaluate the technology for your specific use case.

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