EnergyMatching aims at developing adaptive and adaptable envelope and building solutions for maximizing RES (Renewable Energy Sources) harvesting: versatile click&go substructure for different cladding systems (R3), solar window package (R4), modular appealing BIPV envelope solutions (R5), RES harvesting package to heat and ventilate (R6). Such solutions are integrated into energy efficient building concepts for self-consumers connected in a local area energy network (energyLAN). The energyLAN is designed to fullfil comprehensive economic rationales (organised by geo-cluster), including balancing cost and performance targets, through the energy harvesting business enhancer platform (R1), which handles different stakeholders benefits, risks and overall cash flows, and it will be exploited to develop specific business models. Operational strategies of the energyLAN are driven by the building and districrt energy harvesting management system (R7). EnergyMatching focuses on residential buildings to open up the highest potential in terms of NZEB target and optimisation of building integrated RES in the 4 seasons. EnergyMatching buildings are active elements of the energy network and as energy partners they consume, produce, store and supply energy and as self-consumers they transform the EU energy market from centralised, fossil-fuel based national systems to a decentralised, renewable, interconnected and adaptive system. EnergyMatching optimisation tool (R2) enables the best matching between local RES-based energy production and building load profiles, and simplifies the energy demand management for the energy distributors. EnergyMatching addresses positive public perception of RES integration, by developing active envelope solution with high aesthetical value and flexibility to cope with different architectural concepts. The proposed solar active skin technologies are easily connectable at mechanical (R3), building energy system (R4-R6) and energy network level (R7).

INDEPENDENT aims to overcome the main obstacles for large-scale adoption of flexibility services in buildings and industry by providing an Integrated Development and Operations Platform (IDOP) for standard-compliant Customer Energy Management Systems (CEMS) and Aggregator Energy Management Systems (AEMS). IDOP will be interoperable with over 40 energy management systems and 60 smart appliance vendors and cover 90% of the flexibility in buildings and industrial sites. IDOP will help to reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions by providing open interfaces, innovative AI, and optimisation solutions for flexible resource modelling, optimal control, multi-market operation, and the automated integration of legacy systems. Simultaneously, IDOP will significantly reduce the development, deployment, and operational expenses, thereby establishing DSFM as a sustainable business on a large scale. IDOP commits to full compliance with the DSFM standards, including the EN 50491-12 and IEC 62746 standard families, and the SAREF ontology. Additionally, IDOP introduces Gaia-X-compatible data spaces to govern data in buildings and industrial sites. The project brings together 14 partners, including four aggregators, seven EMS service companies, and two major home appliance manufacturers that will adopt IDOP-based solutions into their offerings. The IDOP-based CEMS and AEMS will be demonstrated and qualified in large-scale pilots in four countries. A total of 1,4 MWh flexibility capacity will be harnessed from buildings and industrial sites and connected to eight operational energy wholesale, TSO, and DSO flexibility markets to demonstrate the CEMS and AEMS at TRL 8. The IDOP solutions will enable the energy transition by reducing GHG emissions by 1.9 million tons a year for all customers in 6–10 years. The solutions provide also significant monetary benefits: 15% RoI and 3,6 billion EUR cost reductions a year compared to the situation without any DSFM solution.

District heating (DH) systems are one of the most energy efficient heating systems in urban environments, with proven reliability within many decades already. DHs have traditionally been designed to be operated in a hierarchized way, with central energy production facilities delivering heat to a variety of distributed consumption locations. DHs are identified as key systems to achieve the de-carbonization of heating energy in European Cities. Renewable and waste heat sources are foreseen at the same time as de-carbonized heat sources and the way to guarantee competitive energy costs with limited influence of fossil fuel supply price volatility. To achieve this, conversion of DHs is needed regarding: - The reduction of their operation temperature to avoid current technical constraints in the integration of low-grade industrial heat sources, - The introduction of larger shares of renewable energy sources (RES) in the DH network. - The introduction of distributed heat sources (reject heat from cooling equipment...). - To guarantee economic viability with the trend of DH heat load reduction due to the evolution of the building stock toward NZEB (Near Zero Energy Buildings). RELaTED will provide an innovative concept of decentralized Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) DH networks, which allow for the incorporation of low-grade heat sources with minimal constraints. Also, ULT DH reduce operational costs due to fewer heat losses, better energy performance of heat generation plants and extensive use of de-carbonized energy sources at low marginal costs. The RELaTED ULT DH concept will be demonstrated in four complementary operation environments (new and existing DH, locations, climatic conditions, dimension…) in Denmark, Estonia, Serbia and Spain. RELaTED approach will follow the strategy of the electrical smart grids, in which energy generation is decentralized and consumers evolve to prosumers (they consume and produce energy).