Pilots

INNO-TREC Pilots – Testing Innovation Across Europe

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BACKGROUND

Six Pilots. One Vision: Empowering Communities for a Sustainable Energy Future

INNO-TREC demonstrates its solutions through six pilot Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) in diverse European contexts. Each demo addresses unique challenges and tests innovative approaches to energy transactions, community engagement, and PV system integration.

DEMOS

Demos

DEMO1: Energy Poverty in Rural PV-based Communities

Location: Chaves, Portugal
Challenge: Seasonal population shifts and energy poverty in rural PV-based communities

Goals:

  • Consolidate the setup of three RECs across three villages
  • Support vulnerable residents through PV generation and social tariffs
  • Validate the energy credits platform

Features:

  • Different PV system topologies for early-stage communities
  • Integration of energy credits with local social structures
  • Model for rural energy sustainability

KPIs:

  • Costs: –40%
  • User comfort: +40%
  • Self-consumption: +45%
  • CO₂ emissions: –35%

DEMO2: Social Benefits for Mountainous PV-based Communities

Location: Vlasti, Greece
Challenge: Empowering non-energy-literate members and promoting energy autonomy

Goals:

  • Lower energy costs for residents, focusing on vulnerable groups
  • Identify next steps for REC upscale

Features:

  • Integration of PV, storage, and electromobility
  • Business models tailored for elderly and stock breeders
  • Focus on energy literacy and community empowerment

KPIs:

  • Costs: –30%
  • Comfort: +20%
  • Self-consumption: +30%
  • User engagement: +40%

DEMO3: Energy Efficiency in Agricultural PV-based Communities

Location: Dingle, Ireland
Challenge: Social and technical engagement for REC planning and flexibility

Goals:

  • Explore community-led PV under Irish Renewable Support Scheme
  • Test distributed loads for grid resilience

Features:

  • Community-centric approach with PV, heat pumps, batteries
  • Secure data-sharing platform for transparency and privacy
  • Flexible energy management strategies

KPIs:

  • Costs: –25%
  • Self-consumption: +30%
  • User engagement: +30%
  • Grid support: +50%

DEMO4: PV Energy Sharing Profitability in Cooperative Communities

Location: Mechelen, Belgium
Challenge: Profitability of PV energy sharing under regulatory constraints

Goals:

  • Increase benefits for social tenants
  • Optimise PV sharing using energy credits

Features:

  • Energy credits platform in social housing
  • Integration of technical, financial, and legal aspects
  • Focus on energy poverty reduction

KPIs:

  • Costs: –35%
  • Comfort: +30%
  • Engagement: +20%
  • Grid support: +15%

DEMO5: Low Carbon Transition Coal-to-PV in Social Housing Communities

Location: Barnsley, UK
Challenge: Lack of regulatory framework for virtual energy assets

Goals:

  • Reduce energy costs for residents
  • Enhance comfort for vulnerable groups

Features:

  • High penetration of battery storage and heat pumps
  • Demand flexibility services and dynamic tariffs
  • Social rewards for user engagement

KPIs:

  • Costs: –30%
  • Comfort: +40%
  • Self-consumption: +35%
  • CO₂ emissions: –30%

DEMO6: PV Systems with Storage in Academic Communities

Location: Torino, Italy
Challenge: Maximising REC self-sufficiency and predictive maintenance

Goals:

  • Increase energy efficiency and flexibility
  • Explore fault prediction and maintenance strategies

Features:

  • Centralised and private battery storage control
  • Advanced allocation strategies and power quality monitoring
  • High-accuracy measurement systems

KPIs:

  • Self-consumption: +35%
  • Engagement: +30%
  • Self-sufficiency: +35%