Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ERIGrid 2.0 (European Research Infrastructure supporting Smart Grid and Smart Energy Systems Research, Technology Development, Validation and Roll Out – Second Edition)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-04-01 do 2025-04-30
The transition to a sustainable, secure, and decarbonised energy system in Europe requires the integration of renewable energy sources and the development of intelligent, flexible, and resilient energy infrastructures. ERIGrid 2.0 building on the achievements of its predecessors DERri and ERIGrid, has advanced the validation and testing of smart grid and smart energy system technologies by providing coordinated access to a unique European Research Infrastructure (RI) network.
The project’s main objective was to support research, technology development, and innovation in smart energy systems through a holistic, cyber-physical systems-based approach. ERIGrid 2.0 offered both physical and virtual access to state-of-the-art laboratories and simulation tools, enabling system-level validation of new energy technologies. The project also fostered education and training, promoted open science, and contributed to standardisation efforts.
The ERIGrid 2.0 consortium comprised 20 partners from 13 European countries, forming an advanced community that provided a single-entry point for researchers and industry to access integrated services and tools for smart grid and energy system validation.
Over its five-year duration, ERIGrid 2.0 has fulfilled its mission to enhance the European RI landscape for smart energy systems. By integrating and extending physical and virtual access to advanced laboratories and tools, the project enabled high-quality, system-level validation of innovative energy technologies. The developed methodologies, such as the extended Holistic Test Description (HTD), benchmark models, and the universal API (uAPI), have set new standards for reproducibility, scalability, and interoperability in energy systems research.
The project’s access programme exceeded its targets, with 106 user projects implemented and 1,677 access days provided. The Virtual Access services reached a global audience and demonstrated the value of open, on-demand research tools. The educational programme, including a comprehensive Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and hands-on lab modules, contributed to building a skilled workforce for the energy transition.
ERIGrid 2.0 has laid a solid foundation for future research, innovation, and standardisation in the field of smart energy systems. Its outcomes will continue to support the EU’s climate and energy goals, foster international collaboration, and drive the digitalisation and decarbonisation of the energy sector.
The project’s main objective was to support research, technology development, and innovation in smart energy systems through a holistic, cyber-physical systems-based approach. ERIGrid 2.0 offered both physical and virtual access to state-of-the-art laboratories and simulation tools, enabling system-level validation of new energy technologies. The project also fostered education and training, promoted open science, and contributed to standardisation efforts.
The ERIGrid 2.0 consortium comprised 20 partners from 13 European countries, forming an advanced community that provided a single-entry point for researchers and industry to access integrated services and tools for smart grid and energy system validation.
Over its five-year duration, ERIGrid 2.0 has fulfilled its mission to enhance the European RI landscape for smart energy systems. By integrating and extending physical and virtual access to advanced laboratories and tools, the project enabled high-quality, system-level validation of innovative energy technologies. The developed methodologies, such as the extended Holistic Test Description (HTD), benchmark models, and the universal API (uAPI), have set new standards for reproducibility, scalability, and interoperability in energy systems research.
The project’s access programme exceeded its targets, with 106 user projects implemented and 1,677 access days provided. The Virtual Access services reached a global audience and demonstrated the value of open, on-demand research tools. The educational programme, including a comprehensive Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and hands-on lab modules, contributed to building a skilled workforce for the energy transition.
ERIGrid 2.0 has laid a solid foundation for future research, innovation, and standardisation in the field of smart energy systems. Its outcomes will continue to support the EU’s climate and energy goals, foster international collaboration, and drive the digitalisation and decarbonisation of the energy sector.
The first project period was dedicated to setting up the integrated, Pan-European smart grid and energy systems RIs to achieve the overall project objectives. The focus during the second period was on deepening the networking, access, and joint research activities. In the third and final period, ERIGrid 2.0 completed its technical developments, demonstrated the integration of services across distributed RIs, intensified dissemination and exploitation efforts, and supported various user groups. Therefore, the following main achievements were made:
Key Results and Achievements
• Access to RIs: ERIGrid 2.0 provided Trans-national Access (TA) to 106 user projects across 13 calls, exceeding its target with 1,677 access days delivered. This included 19 industrial projects and 370 access days for non-EU users. In parallel, 10 Virtual Access (VA) services remained operational, reaching over 12,000 unique users globally. These services supported research and education with minimal administrative overhead.
• Joint Research and Integration: The project developed and demonstrated advanced tools and methodologies for system-level validation, including the extended Holistic Test Description (HTD), three different benchmark models, the universal API (uAPI), and the Research Infrastructure as Code (RIasC) framework. These tools enabled reproducible, scalable, and automated experiments across distributed RIs.
• Scientific Output: Numerous scientific publications were produced, including journal articles and conference papers co-authored by user groups and host labs. These covered topics such as grid-forming inverters, cybersecurity, co-simulation, and control optimisation. All user projects also submitted technical reports, publicly available via the ERIGrid 2.0 website and Zenodo.
• Education and Training: ERIGrid 2.0 delivered a comprehensive training programme, including four training schools, ten workshops, and a six-part Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on holistic smart energy system validation. New lab modules were developed, and several staff exchanges were conducted to foster cross-institutional learning.
• Dissemination and Exploitation: The project maintained a strong dissemination presence through its website, newsletters, social media, and participation in major events such as CIRED, PVSEC, and IEEE conferences. Key outcomes were summarised in factsheets, a “Final Public Project Report”, and the “European Guide to Smart Energy System Testing: The ERIGrid 2.0 Approach for Evaluating Complex Smart Energy System Configurations.” Exploitation activities were guided by the project’s Exploitation and IPR Agreement, while data management followed the established Data Management Plan. All tools, datasets, and results were made openly available via GitHub and Zenodo, supporting FAIR principles and open science.
• Standardisation and Policy Impact: ERIGrid 2.0 contributed to international standardisation through active involvement in IEEE P2004 and CIGRE C6.36 working groups. The project’s methodologies and tools were aligned with global best practices and referenced in policy-relevant documents, including the IEA’s “State of Energy Innovation” report.
Key Results and Achievements
• Access to RIs: ERIGrid 2.0 provided Trans-national Access (TA) to 106 user projects across 13 calls, exceeding its target with 1,677 access days delivered. This included 19 industrial projects and 370 access days for non-EU users. In parallel, 10 Virtual Access (VA) services remained operational, reaching over 12,000 unique users globally. These services supported research and education with minimal administrative overhead.
• Joint Research and Integration: The project developed and demonstrated advanced tools and methodologies for system-level validation, including the extended Holistic Test Description (HTD), three different benchmark models, the universal API (uAPI), and the Research Infrastructure as Code (RIasC) framework. These tools enabled reproducible, scalable, and automated experiments across distributed RIs.
• Scientific Output: Numerous scientific publications were produced, including journal articles and conference papers co-authored by user groups and host labs. These covered topics such as grid-forming inverters, cybersecurity, co-simulation, and control optimisation. All user projects also submitted technical reports, publicly available via the ERIGrid 2.0 website and Zenodo.
• Education and Training: ERIGrid 2.0 delivered a comprehensive training programme, including four training schools, ten workshops, and a six-part Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on holistic smart energy system validation. New lab modules were developed, and several staff exchanges were conducted to foster cross-institutional learning.
• Dissemination and Exploitation: The project maintained a strong dissemination presence through its website, newsletters, social media, and participation in major events such as CIRED, PVSEC, and IEEE conferences. Key outcomes were summarised in factsheets, a “Final Public Project Report”, and the “European Guide to Smart Energy System Testing: The ERIGrid 2.0 Approach for Evaluating Complex Smart Energy System Configurations.” Exploitation activities were guided by the project’s Exploitation and IPR Agreement, while data management followed the established Data Management Plan. All tools, datasets, and results were made openly available via GitHub and Zenodo, supporting FAIR principles and open science.
• Standardisation and Policy Impact: ERIGrid 2.0 contributed to international standardisation through active involvement in IEEE P2004 and CIGRE C6.36 working groups. The project’s methodologies and tools were aligned with global best practices and referenced in policy-relevant documents, including the IEA’s “State of Energy Innovation” report.
ERIGrid 2.0 significantly advanced the state of the art in smart energy system validation by:
• Developing a comprehensive, cyber-physical validation framework integrating co-simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), and geographically distributed real-time simulation,
• Enhancing reproducibility and scalability through benchmark models, uncertainty tools, and automation frameworks,
• Providing open access to tools, datasets, and training materials, supporting the FAIR principles,
• Contributing to IEEE Std 2004-2025 on real-time simulation/HIL and other standardisation/harmonisation efforts, and
• Supporting over 100 user projects and reaching hundreds of learners through its educational programme.
The project strengthened Europe’s leadership in smart energy systems research and innovation, fostered collaboration between academia and industry, and laid the groundwork for future developments in integrated, intelligent, and sustainable energy infrastructures.
• Developing a comprehensive, cyber-physical validation framework integrating co-simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), and geographically distributed real-time simulation,
• Enhancing reproducibility and scalability through benchmark models, uncertainty tools, and automation frameworks,
• Providing open access to tools, datasets, and training materials, supporting the FAIR principles,
• Contributing to IEEE Std 2004-2025 on real-time simulation/HIL and other standardisation/harmonisation efforts, and
• Supporting over 100 user projects and reaching hundreds of learners through its educational programme.
The project strengthened Europe’s leadership in smart energy systems research and innovation, fostered collaboration between academia and industry, and laid the groundwork for future developments in integrated, intelligent, and sustainable energy infrastructures.