PROGRESS (Promoting Green Energy Solutions through Smart Digitization) is a European project funded under the Interreg Europe programme and co-funded by the PNRR – NextGenerationEU in the amount of €99,171.98. The project is located in the context of the energy transition and aims to strengthen local energy cooperatives through advanced digital tools, artificial intelligence and predictive simulations.
An innovation lab for energy cooperatives
With PROGRESS, the project aims to show how the integration of smart digitalization logics can support a concrete reality such as CEIS – Cooperativa Energetica Integrata e Solidale to achieve ambitious goals in terms of:
- Energy self-balancing, both at local and overall grid level;
- Stability and resilience of the grid, even under highly fluctuating conditions;
- Optimization of available resources, including renewable and non-programmable resources.
Digital tools for intelligent energy management
The project uses a range of innovative technologies and experimental approaches to take cooperative energy management to the next level:
- Digital modelling of the energy grid to analyse complex scenarios and identify optimal solutions.
- Artificial intelligence techniques to predict consumption and generation from non-programmable renewable sources to increase planning accuracy.
- Optimization of grid balancing, including congestion, with predictive and adaptive algorithms.
- Simulation of virtual systems, such as decentralised storage systems, to evaluate the impact of different infrastructure solutions before they are actually implemented.
A reproducible model for the area
One of the main objectives of PROGRESS is to build a scalable and replicable model that can serve as a reference for other energy cooperatives and local communities interested in embarking on the path of innovation and sustainability.
The results of the project will therefore be made available in an open and shared form and will contribute to this:
- Promote a data-driven approach to energy management;
- Facilitate the introduction of digital tools also by small and medium-sized enterprises;
- Supporting local decarbonization and energy independence of municipalities.
On the way to cooperative, intelligent and sustainable
PROGRESS is situated in a rapidly evolving European landscape where energy communities are playing an increasingly central role in decarbonization, the democratisation of energy and the management of grids in a decentralised and participatory way.
The involvement of CEIS in this project is a concrete example of how emerging technologies can also be effectively harnessed by cooperative entities to deliver real benefits in terms of efficiency, sustainability and citizen participation.
More information on https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/progress/
