EMPOWER

The Horizon2020 project developed a local electricity trading platform and Norway’s first microgrid in order to prove that significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and an increase of energy efficiency require radical changes in our relation to energy, and also to encourage active citizen participation in the electrical system.

Highlights:

• New ICT-based cloud system for the project and its local trading application developed by eSmart Systems
• Development of completely new use cases and business models thanks to the smart meters
• Case studies with data from approx. 35 relevant benchmark business models and companies and multi-country study with 830 participants from four countries to measure prosumer acceptance and optimise business model.

About the practice:
The project developed and verified a new market design for local marketplaces for electricity trading through a cloud-based ICT solution while designing innovative, prosumer-oriented business models relevant for the market design and implementing full bi-directional and secure communication between the market and business layers. The practice also encouraged micro-generation and the active participation of prosumers to exploit the flexibility created in demonstration sites in order to prove the viability of the concept and create synergetic benefits for all inhabitants connected to the local grid.