The Smart Energy Cluster encompasses a diverse set of projects dedicated to driving the energy transition through innovative technologies and community engagement. Under this umbrella, seven pioneering projects — FORTESIE , InEExS , DigiBUILD , RESONANCE ,DEDALUS, EU-MORE, ReSCHOOL —came together to host a session on October 24th in Milan under the framework of EnLit Europe.
This event underscored Europe’s commitment to a sustainable energy transition, showcasing the power of cutting-edge technologies and cross-sectoral collaboration to achieve EU climate goals.
The session opened with a clear vision: unlocking the potential of digital tools like AI, blockchain, predictive analytics, and digital twins to transform the way energy is managed across sectors. By leveraging blockchain technology, projects like FORTESIE and InEExS are bringing unprecedented transparency and security to energy transactions. Meanwhile, DigiBUILD demonstrated how digital twins and AI can be used to monitor and predict building energy usage, creating data-driven solutions for renovations that significantly enhance energy efficiency.
Data integration emerged as a key theme across multiple projects, emphasizing the critical role of standardized and accessible data to drive informed decision-making in energy management. By harmonizing data from various sources, these projects enable more accurate energy forecasts, efficient resource allocation, and evidence-based energy-saving strategies. The projects illustrated how data integration in renovations and energy consumption tracking can create measurable, long-term benefits, encouraging stakeholders to adopt energy-efficient practices.
Flexible energy management, particularly in residential buildings, was highlighted as a vital component for adapting to fluctuating energy demand. Through demand response solutions, projects like DEDALUS enable consumers to make real-time adjustments during peak demand periods and optimise energy consumption patterns in ways that benefit both individual consumers and the broader grid. Such solutions not only stabilise the energy system but also offer consumers financial incentives to engage with these new technologies.
Community engagement and empowerment were also at the heart of the event’s discussions. Projects like ReSCHOOL and RESONANCE presented digital tools and educational programs that allow communities to manage energy flexibly and participate in local energy markets. By involving communities in energy management, these initiatives promote an inclusive energy transition, encouraging citizens and small businesses to play an active role in sustainability efforts.
Overcoming financial barriers emerged as a recurring theme. The event highlighted alternative funding models—such as performance guarantees, community-driven investments, and crowdfunding—as critical for making energy-efficient renovations more accessible. Projects like EU-MORE are showcasing these innovative financial solutions to lower the cost burden and improve accessibility, helping scale energy-efficient solutions across diverse markets and sectors.
In the coming phases, these projects aim to tackle the challenges that inhibit the widespread adoption of energy-efficient solutions, including regulatory, financial, and behavioral barriers. Moving forward, there will be a strong focus on continued knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, and aligning policy frameworks to support these technologies. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem, the Smart Energy Cluster is positioned to contribute significantly to Europe’s climate ambitions, paving the way for a future defined by energy efficiency, flexibility, and community-driven solutions.
The Smart Energy Cluster is an initiative of the InEExS project, managed by IEECP and EPU NTUA.
Visit us at: https://smartenergycluster.eu/
