THE PROJECT
eCREW coordinates and supports the roll-out of an innovative scheme of household cooperation in energy management, addressing Community Renewable Energy Webs (CREWs), in which households jointly exploit household-level electricity generation and battery storage capacities and optimise energy efficiency and expenditures. Key purpose of CREWs is to support the transition of passive consumers to active participants in the local energy system through informed decisions and collective actions.
In eCREW, 3 energy companies – the Lighthouse Communities, will roll – out the eCREW approach to their clients, while a strong and divers Follower Community, with entities from several countries, is made fit for giving the eCREW approach a “Go”. Together, 240,000 households will be enabled to join a CREW during the project runtime, establishing about 200 CREWs with 15,000 participants, saving at least 13 GWh/year. The cooperation within a CREW will be facilitated through the provision of an award-winning smart phone app (Energy Cockpit), exploiting smart meter data to stimulate an increase in energy efficiency and the uptake of local renewable electricity generation.
In our approach, administrative burdens are relieved from the households, who are then free to focus their efforts on making the most out of their participation in a CREW. Monetary benefits from the eCREW approach are distributed amongst prosumers, traditional consumers, and the CAE* through an innovative split-incentives contract applied in the project. The financial arrangement is tailored to ensure that the eCREW approach is financially viable and attractive for all participants and allows a non-discriminatory participation of all households.
* CAE: Community Administering Entities.
Administration of the CREWs, including the billing of consumption and generation, is covered by electricity retailing companies which are thereby transformed into holistic service providers.
Objective
The key objective of eCREW is to set-up and roll-out an approach to informed decisions and collective actions that incorporates the following principles in an impact-maximising way.
GROUP EFFICACY
MULTI LEVEL
ZERO EFFORT
ULTIMATE RELIABILITY
BEYOND ENERGY
Partners
Brief Description
The Energieinstitut an der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz is a not for profit research organisation consisting of about 35 scholars whose sole focus of inquiry is the energy sphere. The institute employs a multidisciplinary structure of three departments (Energy Economics, Energy Law, and Energy Technology) in order to gain holistic insights into the issues under investigation. Only the combination of these core disciplines allows for comprehensive analyses that results in practical, implementable and policy-oriented solutions to the myriad challenges facing the European energy sector. Examples of our work include: analyses of the ecologic and economic effects of new technologies, evaluating the most recent developments in the European energy legislation, and optimizing strategies for CO2 abatement schemes and policies for energy efficiency uptake. EI-JKU is deeply rooted in the European research community, publishes in high level journals and possesses experience as both partner and. coordinator The practical and policy applicability of our efforts is always an indispensable focus of the Energy Institute, and the scientific results of multiple projects and studies conducted by the EI-JKU have been the driving force for a high number of innovative solutions in sustainable energy.
Role in eCREW
EI-JKU coordinates eCREW and is thereby responsible for the financial and strategic management of the project. Besides this, EI-JKU manages Work Package 4, where the roll-out of eCREW’s Energy Community approach and smart phone app is conducted. Further activities of EI-JKU include the representation of the consortium in meetings with the European Commission and at international conferences and business fairs. Another important responsibility of EI-JKU is to establish link to initiatives in the same thematic area as eCREW and to actively search for companies and communities that willing to replicate the eCREW approach.
Brief Description
GreenPocket is a leading specialist for visualization and energy management software. Founded in 2009 in Cologne, GreenPocket supports energy suppliers and corporate customers all over the globe in realizing added value from meter data by providing intelligent, innovative and flexible software solutions and services. With the use of innovative technologies, like Data Science and Machine Learning, and by designing the software as clear and intuitive as possible, GreenPocket makes it possible for energy suppliers as well as their end consumers to quickly improve their energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint. Doing this GreenPocket is actively involved in shaping a sustainable future, driving the energy transition and contributing significantly to the digitalization of the energy industry.
Role in eCREW
As the software expert and leader of WP3, GreenPocket is responsible for delivering the mobile app “Energy Cockpit” to all participating suppliers and households. The Energy Cockpit is the tool for transparency of consumption and generation, for the interaction between the utility and the customer and for engagement within the community webs. To accomodate the eCREW approach GreenPocket will modify some existing features and also integrate new functionalities, like benchmarking between the CREWs.
Brief Description
Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH is a regional utility company for the Hassfurt urban area with approx 13,500 end customers who are supplied with electricity, water, heat and natural gas and who are also served by a customer centre.
The main objective of Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH is to ensure the intelligent generation, distribution, storage and consumption of renewable energy. In order to achieve this goal, Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH has carried out a smart meter rollout for its end customers and has thereby already achieved a future-oriented and innovative standard as the first multi-utility company in Germany.
Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH attaches particular importance to the use of renewable energies, such as photovoltaic systems, wind power plants, EV stations and a power-to-gas power plant.
Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH is not only an energy supply company, but also a first mover and champion of digitalisation in the energy market with a strong focus on the development of new IT-based value-added services for its customers. In addition to the active development of smart home solutions, Stadtwerk Hassfurt GmbH also concentrates on the research and application of new energy tariff models and consulting systems for its customers in order to optimise their energy consumption and/or energy production (“prosumers”) in the best possible way.
Role in eCREW
Within the eCrew project, Stadtwerk Haßfurt Gmbh is acting as the lighthouse provider for testing and implementing the eCrew approach in Germany. In particular, SWH is responsible for Task 3.4 in WP3, together with Greenpocket and the other two lighthouses of ADEE and UEAS.
Participating households in Hassfurt will benefit in particular from taking advantage of more favourable conditions in the field of electricity consumption and generation.
The overall goal for SWH is to test a running version of the system in the german Lighthouse community to ensure full usability and stability under real-world, high-traffic conditions.
Brief Description
Alginet Distribución Energia Eléctrica is a local DSO located in the area of Alginet, the entity is part of the Cooperative Group, Cooperativa Eléctrica de Alginet, and its sole and only shareholder is the Cooperative. The DSO supplies electricity to more than 5700 supply points by means of more than 40 MV/LV transformation centres, with an installed power of 18,000 kW. The company has also finalized a major project in 2014; the installation of a new electrical substation, enabling the capture of energy in a high voltage level (132 000 V.) for further processing. The substation is of exclusive use of the cooperative DSO. With the construction of the new facility, the electric cooperative of Alginet has been the first cooperative that manages a substation in property in Spain.
Role in eCREW
ADEE will be leading one of the Lighthouse implementations within the project. ADEE will foster the testing and validation of the project developments by promoting the adoption of eCREW solutions among the end users in Alginet, the Spanish test site.
Brief Description
ACEA is a modern Italian multi-utility company, which provides services for municipalities, private companies and citizens. In more than 150 years (Acea finds his origin in 1856, when the first Italian-French society for gas supplying was established), the company has continued its territorial growth and the current Group, established in 2003, operates in 47 Municipalities situated in the North West of Italy, managing the sectors of water, energy and environemnt. more specifiacally, within the Environmental sector, ACEA processes 60˙000 t y-1 of municipal bio-waste serving roughly 1 million inhabitants. Currently, the biogas produced through the anaerobic digestion process is converted into biomethane that is injected into the grid and used as transportation fuel.
Role in eCREW
ACEA will support the construction of the legal and regulatory framework in WP5, but its main involvement will be in WP 6, where ACEA is expected to:
– prepare a survey among the followers communities to understand expectations, obstacles and state of the art with respect to the possible replicability of the E-Crew experience;
– develop and test the Guidelines on the Pinerolo case (based on the survey);
– consider the evolution of the normative context to evaluate the full implementation of the E-Crew model in the Pinerolo context
Brief Description
Uluğ Energy Distribution and Retail Sales Services Inc. was established on 01/01/2011. The company operates mainly in the service areas in the Energy Sector. The company’s foremost principle is to provide the best service with the highest customer satisfaction rate. The services provided by Uluğ Enerji include Meter Reading, Subscription Management, Maintenance and Repairs. The company operates mainly in the Marmara Region of Turkey, covering 35.5 thousand square kilometre area, 4 provinces, 55 districts, 2221 neighbourhoods and 636 villages. Currently the number of customers served in the provinces of Bursa, Balıkesir, Çanakkale and Yalova is around 3.2 million. Uulğ Enerji’s subsidiary, Uludağ Enerji Dağıtım A.Ş. has 9 percent of the market share in the energy distribution sector, in terms of number of customers and amount of supply, making it the largest distribution company of Turkey. In 2018, Uludağ Electricity Distribution, realised 12.1 billion kWh electricity distribution, and made an investment of TL 261 million. Ulug Enerji’s mother company is Limak Enerji AS which has around 3 GW installed generation capacity (Turkey’s %3.5 installed capacity), including hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, natural gas and coal power plants.
Role in eCREW
Key contribution will be the roll-out of the eCREW approach to its customers in WP 4 (lead Task 4.3). UEAS will provide consumption datas of certain amount of household to analyze electiricity consumption behaviour. Moreover, UEAS will support the development of the split incentives approach in Task 2.1 and the engagement strategy in Task 2.2. and also will support the dissemination of the eCREW approach in the Turkish energy utility community.
Brief Description
CIRCE Foundation (Centre of Research for Energy Resources and Consumption) was established in 1993 as an independent Research Centre to create and develop solutions and scientific/technical knowledge and to transfer them to the business sector in the field of energy. CIRCE’s mission is to drive forward improvements in energy efficiency and to spread the use of renewable energy by means of the development of R+D+I activities and formative actions, thereby contributing to a sustainable development.
Role in eCREW
CIRCE leads WP2, which consists in tailoring of the business models and impacts indicator. Along with the coordination of the whole WP, CIRCE leads Task 2.2, for the development of the engagement strategies for households and stakeholders, as well as Task 2.3 regarding the KPIs definition. Moreover, CIRCE has an active role in the WP3 leading task 3.2 related to household-level PV and battery simulation and selfconsumption assessment and WP5 leading Task 5.3 regarding KPIs quantification. Finally, CIRCE supports ADEE in the Spanish Lighthouse community
Brief Description
UNITO is one of the largest Italian Universities, with about 70.000 students, 3.900 employees (academic, administrative and technical staff), 1.800 post-graduate and post-doctoral research fellows Research and training are performed in 27 Departments, encompassing all scientific disciplines. According to the last ARWU international ranking, UNITO is ranked among the top 300 universities out of 1.200, together with other five Italian universities. As for internationalization, UNITO is involved in about 450 international cooperation formal agreements with institutions from all around the world (South America, Mediterranean countries, India and China, in addition to Europe), including joint educational programs at undergraduate and doctoral level. UNITO is deeply involved in scientific research and manages roughly 500 projects per year, both at the national and international level.
Role in eCREW
In eCREW, an interdisciplinary team of professors and researchers belonging to three different Departments (Culture, Poltics and Society, Economics and Statistics and Law) will pool their know-how and experiences.
Overall, the role of UNITO in eCREW is to favour the engagement of citizens through the adoption and implementation of a cooperative approach aimed at shifting from the individual to the collective level the choices and behaviors of the participants.
More in details, in WP2 it supports the development of engagement strategies and is responsible for delivering a proper Collective Action Plan, in WP3 it leads Task 3.1 for the definition of the eCREW monitor to be integrated in the App, in WP5 it contributes to the regulatory and context analysis and in WP6 it leads task 6.1 aimed at defining and carry out activties with and for the Follower Communities and at delivereing a guidebook to support the eCREW replication beyond the project time and geographical scope.
Brief Description
Izmir University of Economics (IUE) established as the first foundation university in Izmir and in Aegean Region of Turkey in 2001. IUE initiated energy-related interdisciplinary research and studies in 2011, establishing “Sustainable Energy Division”. Its research focuses on (1) examining the role of energy security in energy policy making, (2) analyzing individual and collective energy choices and social acceptance of energy transitions, and (3) assessing the existing energy and environment policies and targets. Sustainable Energy Division is affiliated with Graduate School and Faculty of Business of IUE. The division is a member of European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and e3s joint programme. It is one of the leading member of the Turkish Energy Research community, publishing frequently in high level energy journals and holds an experience of research in numerous European Commission Horizon 2020, including ECHOES, eCREW, EERADATA and ENCHANT.
Role in eCREW
IUE, as WP 5 leader, responsible to develop the legal and economic information required to boost the replication of the eCREW approach. Additionally, IUE supports UEAS with the roll-out of the eCREW approach to their clients, a particularly demanding task considering the significant number of households that will be involved.
Brief Description
The Aegean Energy & Environment Agency is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 with the aim to provide technical assistance to islands and local authorities for maturing sustainable development projects and engaging in innovative investment schemes. The Agency’s strategic target is to increase the islands’ capacity on renewable energy, energy efficiency, wastes & water management, rational use of local resources, preservation of cultural heritage and landscape. Furthermore, AEGEA is acting as the technical and political advisor of islands in their participation in European projects and networks (Pact of Islands, Smart Islands Initiative etc.) AEGEA holds the Vice-Presidency for Smart & Sustainable Islands in FEDARENE
Role in eCREW
AEGEA, as WP6 leader, is responsible for the communication and dissemination activities of eCREW, targeted to the market, households and interested researchers, informing them about the project’s progress and the news from the Lighthouse communities, where the innovative scheme is being implemented. The key purpose is to support the transition of passive energy consumers to actively involved and informed citizens about energy and environment.