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In order to make the smart energy transition a reality, different EU projects came together under the #SmartEnergyCluster to mutually support each other on developing, conceptualising and deploying new business models and concepts which fully tap the economic value and the wider benefits of integrated services.

After two years from its establishment and the creation of a dedicated website, the group now amounts to over 30 ongoing projects and 16 ended. The projects combine different energy services to overcome the fragmentation of markets and segments and to enhance the cooperation and trust among different services providers and market actors, also across segments that so far do not have common business cases.

The cluster is working together in the framework of dissemination, communication and exploitation of the projects activities and results, aiming at engaging interested and common target groups. These collaborative actions also aims to multiply the impacts of the benefits of each project, including for example, the integration of new and smart service offers, reduced energy costs for end-users and payback times of investments into sustainable energy.

The 30 projects that are now part of the #SmartEnergyCluster are presented below:

• InEExS: The core concept of the LIFE project InEExS is the deployment of integrated energy services across sectors and carriers, and the tokenization of energy saving data in a public blockchain to facilitate cooperation among market segments and actors. InEExS improves the implementation of Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) Art7 and supports Obligated Parties to provide integrated service offers that enable energy savings, system efficiency and include non-energy benefits. Particular attention is placed on the development of business models and contractual schemes that facilitate the implementation of sector-integrating smart energy services and the deployment of a wide range of sustainable technologies, such as renewables (RES), electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, internet of things (IoT) controls and other energy efficiency (EE) measures.
• AUDIT-TO-MEASURE will help companies to uptake measures necessary to reduce their energy consumption, thus supporting their energy transition. It will develop and implement a new engagement strategy (called “Audit2Action”) to put into action the opportunities emerging from energy audits.
• ENERGATE aims to facilitate the creation of an effective, ICT-enabled, energy efficiency marketplace bringing together energy services and sustainable finance to accelerate the renovation rate of buildings by increasing the chances for projects to be financed. ENERGATE envisions to transform the complex set of decision-making actions for targeted groups, even to non-experts, into a user-friendly and single-entry service.
• BungEES will develop an integrated package (a one-stop-shop package) of novel smart energy efficiency services (EES) integrating energy efficiency and distributed generation, demand response, e-mobility, energy storage/hybrid energy systems and integrating different energy sectors (e.g., electricity with heating and cooling), and to develop innovative financing and rewarding solutions. In addition, the integration of non-energy benefits and non-energy services will be investigated.
• PROBONO envisions to establish a people-focused European construction industry, by working in harmony with the broader community of stakeholders, to deliver scalable, sustainable, and viable energy-positive and zero-carbon Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods (GBN). PROBONO will provide strong examples of how Green Building Neighbourhoods’ technological and social innovations can be applied, with a vision focused on building infrastructure and a renewed focus on people and sustainability, taking full advantage of digitalization and smart technologies for the benefit of society.
• Dedalus: The EU-funded project DEDALUS aims to design, develop, and demonstrate an SSH-driven multi-value energy carrier agnostic demand response ecosystem, tailored to optimize and manage automated Demand response in residential buildings.
• Crete Valley: CRETE VALLEY aims to create a Renewable Energy Valley ‘Living Lab’ (REV-Lab) in Crete. It is envisioned as a decentralised renewable energy system that combines leading-edge ICT technologies, interoperable and open digital solutions (including data sovereignty), social innovation processes, and sound business models that are easy to adopt. CRETE VALLEY will demonstrate a digitalised, distributed, renewable, low carbon landscape that is affordable for all and fully covers the local energy needs on an annual basis, utilizing multiple renewable energy carriers and leveraging energy storage technologies.
• DEESME 2050: DEESME 2050 builds on the developed DEESME multiple benefits approach to capacitate, assist and motivate companies to overcome the obstacles in energy efficiency measures uptake in the furniture sector and its value chain, mainly in Bulgaria, France, Italy and Poland. In order to achieve this, DEESME 2050 involves, supports and accompanies companies in the implementation of energy efficiency measures based on their level of readiness. The project also builds capacities of the companies’ staff on all working levels and endorses sustainability through the preparation of financing, standardisation and replication in cooperation with associations and policymakers.
• DigiBUILD: It will develop and support novel digital building frameworks, transforming current data storage options into novel digital and more efficient ones. It will allow for improved ease of use and access to data and reduce emissions and costs.
• Enpower: Enpower will design, develop, and demonstrate methodologies for data-driven, interactive, and closed-loop tools and services based on Smart Sustainable Homes (SSH) for energy-active citizens and energy-secure inter-sectoral communities towards a citizen-centric energy system.
• MODERATE: MODERATE will develop an open platform for this purpose, making use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and the internet of things (IoT).
• FORTESIE: FORTESIE project will develop building renovation packages tailored to meet the needs of different target groups and optimised for improved energy performance, CO2 reduction and increased comfort levels. These renovation packages will combine state of the-art construction materials and technologies, including prefabricated facades, building-integrated photovoltaics and heat pumps. Overall, FORTESIE aims to accelerate the Renovation Wave in Europe and promote more sustainable practices in the building industry.
• Reschool: RESCHOOL project will consider energy communities as a way to bring together and empower active consumers and prosumers as relevant energy stakeholders. The project will encourage citizen engagement, and facilitate their interaction with the grid as flexibility providers and their participation in electricity markets. RESCHOOL will deliver solutions and tools designed to support energy and flexibility management and interaction based on collaborative and gamification strategies.
• Hedge-IoT: The objective is to facilitate the orchestrated operation of energy systems with increased flexibility, through the HEDGE-IoT Reference Architecture, which aims to establish functional interconnectivity among IoT/edge devices and fog/cloud platforms.
• HYCOOL-IT: The purpose is to develop a set of processes supported by both digital and technical equipment innovative solutions for an efficient and reliable development of IT Server Rooms for advanced tertiary buildings, with a special focus on its replicability through standardisation. In parallel, a highly innovative Rack-integrated adsorption chiller for waste-heat powered server cooling is developed and optimised to carry out efficient liquid cooling of IT servers and, simultaneously, provide cooling to the server room itself in a compact, self-contained, and cost-effective way.
• DECODIT will develop digital services to support citizens on decision making for participating in the energy transition through co-created services and customer journeys. It will deliver tools that clearly present concrete, personalised & comparable propositions to citizens for future-proofing their homes based on federated, data-driven services from multiple, diverse service providers.
• BuildON: The main objective of BuildON is to develop and demonstrate a Smart Transformer Toolbox at TRL8 to plan and achieve improved energy performance applicable to the broadest range of building typologies and smart readiness levels via a comprehensive demonstration campaign involving five representative real-life use cases.
• RESONANCE will integrate DSFM in Europe by developing a revolutionary software framework that will allow for the easy and fast incorporation of customer energy manager and resource manager solutions. To achieve this, it will cooperate with stakeholders and sector actors to encourage the adoption of customer energy managers and showcase their lower costs and work requirements.
• DataWise: The overall objective is to develop and test building and building portfolio management tools, leveraging cross-sectoral lifecycle data, on the basis of an open, secure, interoperable, and scalable framework, to maximize both energy efficiency and stakeholder value. Utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, the methodology integrates data from a variety of sources to provide a holistic understanding of building operations. Besides technological innovation, the project also incorporates a supportive market and policy framework designed to offer evidence-based pathways for widespread adoption and commercialization.
• MetaBuild: META BUILD aims to decarbonise heating and cooling energy in buildings in line with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Repower EU objectives and the “Fit-for-55” package. To do this, different innovative solutions will be developed and integrated into future-proof buildings towards the full decarbonization of the European building stock by 2050
• GINNGER (Governance, social INNovation and dIGital tools for the sustaiNable transition of European neIGhbourhoods) aims to promote inclusive, sustainable, and people-centered urban regeneration across Europe. By combining co-creation methodologies, digital innovation, and multi-level governance, GINNGER supports municipalities and citizens in designing more inclusive and resilient neighborhoods. The project is implemented through six pilot cities—Langreo, Plovdiv, Massagno, Murcia, Orte, and Paris—each tackling local challenges such as energy efficiency, social housing, smart mobility, and community empowerment.
• WeForming: It aims at the creation of a comprehensive regulatory blueprint and evidence-based policy recommendations. With the development of guidelines aligned with decarbonization goals where buildings can actively contribute to the energy system without unnecessary barriers.
• i-STENTORE will examine the integration of diverse storage solutions and their combinations. Innovative storage systems will be showcased and their co-operation with the integrated assets will be co-optimized, placing the reliability, the power quality, the cost- efficient operation and the maximization of the assets’ lifetime as end-goals. i-STENTORE will introduce an umbrella framework to showcase stand-alone and hybrid storage solutions highlighting the multi-purpose use of storage, and embrace the introduction of novel business models, towards building positive and attractive business cases for storage, identifying new revenue streams for storage operators and promoting storage systems as a facilitator of the energy transition. This approach will develop and validate the enhanced connectivity of multiple systems at different levels of the energy value chain, incorporating both front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter solutions, targeting the essential empowerment of new actors and the strategic shift of the role of storage.
• Inherit: The overall vision is to develop and demonstrate next-generation solutions to improve historic buildings’ energy and resource consumption, climate resilience, accessibility, and inclusiveness. The project will provide 11 services for the management of such buildings, driven by information and communication technologies (ICTs), and associated with social and behavioural practices.
• ReLIFE aims to make high quality data more accessible in the EU building sector, by creating an easy-to-use, open-source platform that acts as a central resource for important information about buildings in Europe, including financial and technical details. The ultimate goal is to increase the rate of major renovations in homes, helping to create a more sustainable and efficient future for all.
• DR-RISE: This project promotes demand response (DR) benefits in the residential sector, targeting end-consumers, the energy system, and stakeholders. Its goal is to enhance energy efficiency through comprehensive tools and services, empowering citizens to make informed energy decisions. Beyond economic gains, DR-RISE highlights the broader advantages of DR, encouraging active consumer participation by providing tools to manage comfort, risk, and operational choices effectively. This initiative aligns with the EU’s vision of sustainable and informed energy consumption.
• EnerTef: In a nutshell, EnerTEF’s primary goal is to establish a Common Federated AI Testing and Experimentation Facility to bridge the gap between demand and limited availability of rigorously tested AI products and facilitating extensive adaptation, validation, and upscale of AI tools and services across the energy sector. The project’s network of five primary nodes, complemented by three satellites, ensures a comprehensive approach to testing AI-based technologies in real-world operational environments. This setup contributes to the market uptake of trustworthy AI, ensuring their readiness, accessibility, and applicability to real-world scenarios,
• SMARTeeSTORY increases sustainable and energy efficient building stock in Europe by implementing smart energy efficiency solutions in 3 historical buildings in Delft, Granada, and Riga. The SRI indicator is applied onto historical buildings to guide the interventions, while a webtool to help assessing the SRI of a building will be created. SMARTeeSTORY also prioritizes user centricity, taking into account the user comfort dimensions.
• REN+HOMES takes the lead in developing a universal methodology for positive energy homes and residential districts. The project aims to contribute to a sustainable transition by not only reducing carbon emissions but also addressing resource scarcity and energy poverty. It focuses on deploying a range of widely available and affordable key technologies (KTs), developing highly replicable technology packages (TPs), and integrating software solutions to streamline processes. REN+HOMES has set a goal to develop 23 solutions, including 9 hardware, 7 software, and 7 circular plus energy homes (CPEH) methodologies for positive energy buildings.
• BlueBird aims to improve energy efficiency and user engagement in buildings by integrating them with energy carrier networks and empowering end-users and building managers. The project will use innovative business models and trading tools to optimize comfort and reduce costs. It will also analyze the impact of control, predictability, and personalized settings on energy savings and user empowerment. The project will demonstrate these concepts in various settings, with the goal of inspiring widespread adoption. The project also aims to redefine the interaction between users and energy systems, promoting a synergy between energy efficiency and comfort and ensure that the benefits of clean energy and improved well-being are accessible to all, reducing disparities and energy poverty.

The projects that have been part of the Cluster and are now closed, are the following: BD4NRG, MATRYCS, I-NERGY, BIGG, BRIGHT, EaaS, NUDGE, FrESCO, iFLEX, InterConnect, EU-MORE, V2Market, Neon, SmartSPIN, BuiltHub, RENergetic.

If you want to stay updated on our cluster and be the first one to know about the new website, follow #SmartEnergyCluster on X and LinkedIn!

If you are interested in joining the cluster, fill the application form on the website: https://smartenergycluster.eu/join !