Developing open-source interoperability tools to improve the performance of distributed energy systems – this is the main objective of the European InterSTORE project, with INESC TEC as partner.
The project will focus on the development and replication of the IEEE2030.5 standard, so that Europe ensures real-time interoperable and scalable systems. The goal is to foster interoperable and scalable communication between energy management systems and other resources, e.g., inverters for electric vehicle charging, solar photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, etc. The initiative also aims to develop connected data spaces in Europe and tools to incorporate hybrid battery systems.
The development and testing of technologies will take place in four countries: Portugal, Germany, Italy and Austria. The goal is to test different operating scenarios to understand whether (regardless of typology) the tools communicate with each other, i.e., whether they are interoperable. Portugal will carry out tests in an industrial context, while Germany will focus on commercial environments; Italy will validate technologies related to electric mobility and Austria will address a residential contexts. The tools part of these four demonstrators will increase the flexibility of the platforms and verify user acceptance and the economic value of the new solutions.
“The current Home Energy Management System (HEMS), designed according to a modular approach, is already used in other projects. Some features of this tool will be used in the Portuguese demonstrator, but new features will be developed: battery dispatch system for hybrid storage systems, towards optimising the cost of energy. The methodology to value data will comply with an innovative outlook of applying machine learning models. Ultimately, we also want to promote the acceptance of end consumers through the use cases of flexibility provision”, explains Alexandre Lucas, researcher at INESC TEC.
In a future where mass penetration of distributed energy resources is expected, the InterSTORE project plans to address the complexity of energy storage in the electricity distribution system through hybridisation and interoperability solutions, enabling technology transfer to manufacturers, integrators, and other stakeholders.
The researcher said that inverter manufacturers and developers of energy management systems will be the main beneficiaries of the project. “One of the main objectives is to disseminate and raise awareness of the adoption of the interoperable tool IEEE2030.5 among the manufacturers’ community. The project also focuses on certifying the tool through eligible entities, which will be able to explore the procedure with appropriate business models – similar to what is done in the United States of America and Australia, for example”.
“INESC TEC will be responsible for specifying use cases, developing the data valuation methodology, and the optimal sising algorithm for hybrid battery systems”, he mentioned.
The project is coordinated by RWTH, with an investment of €3.5M; it is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, and it will last until December 2025.
The researcher mentioned in this news piece is associated with INESC TEC.
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