Imagine a future where your home is no longer just a place to live but an active participant in the energy grid. Imagine a world where consumers are empowered to make informed choices about their energy consumption and where businesses can develop innovative solutions that benefit both the environment and their bottom line. This is the vision behind the InterConnect Project, a pan-European initiative that’s not just about developing cutting-edge technologies but about building a community to shape a smarter energy future.

A convergence of novelty and ingenuity
At its core, InterConnect seeks to bridge the digital divide between smart homes, buildings, and the electricity grid, developing an ecosystem where energy management is not only efficient but also user-centric. The project’s ambition is rooted in the EU’s 2018/844/EU directive, aiming to enhance energy efficiency and resilience through interoperability. InterConnect’s implementation of an interoperable marketplace toolbox and a novel IoT reference architecture exemplifies a future where energy consumption meets sufficiency and sustainability.

Funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, it brings together 51 leading organizations from across Europe. The project’s technical achievements are impressive. They’ve developed the first blueprint for a Common European Reference Framework for energy-saving applications, allowing consumers to make informed, voluntary decisions about their energy consumption while contributing to grid resiliency. They’ve pioneered a data-driven “Interoperable Recommender” that helps identify vulnerabilities in the energy infrastructure and suggests solutions for a more resilient grid. The semantic interoperability framework (SIF) facilitates seamless communication and data exchange across diverse systems without a central facilitator. It leverages the SAREF ontology to ensure cross-domain interoperability, and finally, the DSO Interface is a cloud-based platform that offers access to flexible services, enhancing the observability of the low voltage grid. It ensures access to new standardized flexibility products from smart homes, buildings, and communities through an interoperable interface. These innovations are crucial steps towards a more sustainable and efficient energy future.

Fueling innovation through Open Calls
InterConnect understands that creating a dynamic ecosystem requires more than just dialogue. The project actively fuels innovation through Open Calls managed by FundingBox, the European leader in cascade funding. These open calls have served as launchpads for groundbreaking projects, providing crucial funding and resources to turn ideas into reality.

There have been two Open Calls thus far. The first, Interoperable-by-Design Prototypes,

The call attracted a significant response, with 66 submitted applications from more than 20 European countries. Following a rigorous selection process, 10 were selected to receive funding of €150,000 each. These projects addressed various challenges, including:

• Enhancing semantic interoperability between smart home devices and building systems.
• Optimizing demand-side flexibility to improve grid stability.
• Developing innovative solutions for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
• Creating smart energy marketplaces and incentive mechanisms.

The second, Demonstrators of Energy Applications, was specifically designed to mitigate the current energy crisis. It sought proposals for innovative energy applications that could enhance grid stability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower energy costs for consumers. Finally, the seven more promising projects were selected and received funding of €100,000 each and the opportunity to integrate, implement, and test their applications using InterConnect’s interoperable framework, supporting the blueprint for the CERF for energy-saving applications established by the InterConnect project.

We are proud to feature some of the inspiring projects that have emerged from the InterConnect community. We call these projects our champions, and you can learn more about their groundbreaking work on our dedicated Community Platform. These champions exemplify the collaborative spirit that drives InterConnect’s success.

Power in your pocket
InterConnect is about everyday consumers becoming active participants in a sustainable energy future. This is where the project’s mobile applications come in. Three distinct apps, Flexi App (Italy), Greek Pilot App, and The Wattch.r (Portugal), are now available for download on popular app stores. These user-friendly applications put real-time energy data and personalized recommendations at users’ fingertips, allowing them to:

• Track their energy consumption
• Understand how their choices impact the grid
• Identify opportunities to reduce energy use and save money
• Support grid stability through smart energy management

Again, this is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the InterConnect community.

Building bridges, not silos
However, the true engine driving InterConnect’s success lies not in its technology alone, but in its network and community. This forum, meticulously cultivated by the project, brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, including research institutions, manufacturers, energy providers, policymakers, and everyday citizens. Imagine a virtual space where a retail giant grappling with energy costs can connect with a tech start-up pioneering cutting-edge solutions. This is the power of the InterConnect community in action.

Growth through engagement

The benefits of this collaborative environment are undeniable. Community members gain access to the latest industry trends, funding opportunities, and, most importantly, a forum to exchange ideas and troubleshoot challenges. The “Builtrix” story exemplifies this dynamic. This innovative company, through participation in the InterConnect project and community, was able to refine its groundbreaking non-intrusive load monitoring technology, enabling businesses to make data-driven energy management decisions. Similarly, the “AMBER” solution, focused on reforming electric vehicle charging infrastructure, exploited the project’s and the community’s collective expertise to overcome technical hurdles and support industry-wide collaboration.

The project’s large-scale pilots across Europe serve as a canvas for innovation, demonstrating how interoperable solutions can meet user needs with cost-effective, secure, and privacy-respecting services. These pilots are not just experiments but real-world applications that showcase the potential for a human-centric energy ecosystem where users actively participate in energy management, contributing to a more resilient and efficient grid.

The InterConnect community, an online platform hosted by FundingBox within Europe’s largest DeepTech community ecosystem, is instrumental in co-creating these solutions. Members share insights, challenges, and successes, creating an environment where innovation thrives. This collaborative space is not just about technological development but about shaping the future of energy management in Europe, ensuring that it is sustainable, efficient, and inclusive.

What’s next?
Looking ahead, the European Commission is currently evaluating the proposals received under the DIGITAL Programme call for the deployment of the Common European Reference Framework for energy-saving applications which closed on 26 September 2023. The project that will be selected, is expected to lead the deployment of the second generation blueprint of the Common European Reference Framework for energy-saving applications. The respective blueprint will build upon the first generation, integrating real-time data from smart meters and introducing customized features for specific user groups, thereby enhancing the user experience and efficacy of the framework.