Project description
Empowering smart grids with blockchain technology
Renewable energy sources (RESs) are the future, but their integration into the electricity grid poses a significant challenge for Distribution System Operators (DSOs). While Smart automated Demand Response (DR) holds promise as a cost-effective solution, it has not been fully realised due to technological, regulatory, and economic barriers. To address these limitations, the EU-funded eDREAM project aims to develop a groundbreaking near real-time DR framework driven by secure blockchain technology. By optimising system services flexibility provisioning to DSOs, eDREAM seeks to unlock the untapped potential of DR, ensuring grid reliability and enabling the seamless integration of larger shares of RESs into the power grid. Validation will take place through lab-based and field pilots in Greece, the UK, and Italy.
Objective
Smart automated Demand Response (DR) represents a valid alternative to grid reinforement for electricity Distribution System Operators (DSOs) to procure in a cost-effective way the necessary flexibility for integrating larger shares of intermittent RESs, while not compromising security of supply and network reliability. However DR potential has been exploited so far to a very limited extent due to a number of technological, regulatory, economic barriers. To cope with these challenges, eDREAM will develop and make available a novel near real time DR scalable secure blockchain-driven technological and business framework aimed to optimize aggregated system services flexibility provisioning to DSOs. The project will research and develop tools and services for: i) optimal DR system design, which includes early detection of flexibility potential via multimodal fusion of aerial, LIDAR and thermal imaging, end users profiling and segmentation by leveraging on big data clustering and large data sets visual interactive exploration and DR optimization services for energy end users; ii) optimal DSO-driven Demand Response management, including novel applications of blockchain decentralized ledger for secure data handling, market-based microgrid control and near real time closed loop DR verification aimed to improve system observability and enable fair DR financial settlement. Novel flexibility market and services/products design, as well as cooperative DSO-aggregator business models enabled by incentive sharing will validate the eDREAM DR technical concept from the economic perspective. The eDREAM technologies will be extensively validated in a lab-based pilot (Greece), followed by two field pilots, a C&I VPP-based optimal aggregated flexibility management in UK and a mixed stationary and movable (EVs) loads flexibility microgrid-level optimized flexibility management in Italy.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencebig data
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputer securitycryptography
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robotsdrones
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
00144 ROMA
Italy