UC develops smart energy solutions to boost grid flexibility and help prevent blackouts
Over the past two and a half years, the ISR team has been developing innovative, intelligent energy services designed to optimise energy use in buildings and reduce overall consumption.
On 25 June at 2:30 pm, the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR) of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology at the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) will present the results of the BungEES project — 'Building Up Next-Generation Smart Energy Services Offer and Market Uptake Valorising Energy Efficiency and Flexibility at Demand-Side'. The event is being held in partnership with the Centre Branch of the Portuguese Engineers’ Association [Ordem dos Engenheiros] and will take place at its headquarters.
Over the past two and a half years, the ISR team has been developing innovative smart energy services aimed at optimising and reducing energy consumption in buildings. The project also explores ways to coordinate and combine these services to ease pressure on the national grid and mitigate the impact of potential energy cuts or blackouts.
The BungEES project currently comprises over 100 pilot initiatives across Portugal, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. According to ISR researcher Nuno Quaresma, the pilots — including one installed at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — aim to prove that coordinated energy management not only cuts costs but also reduces waste, such as standby consumption and inefficient equipment use, resulting in significant energy savings.
"The results so far are quite promising," he said. The integrated package of energy efficiency services being tested combines efficient energy consumption, distributed renewable energy generation, demand response, electric mobility and energy storage. In the DEEC pilot, we’re testing the orchestration of services such as photovoltaic solar panels, battery energy storage, smart charging for electric vehicles and automated heat pump management using smart thermostats,” the project coordinator explains.
‘These pilot projects are also helping to validate the business model developed as part of this project — a model that prioritises energy efficiency, demand-side flexibility and integrated energy services. "The main goals are to simplify consumers' lives, reduce costs, maximise the use of renewable sources and streamline the operations of energy service companies," adds Nuno Quaresma.
Above all, the project aims to show that combining these energy services with electricity pricing schemes allows for the increased use of renewable resources (such as solar power and energy storage) while reducing energy consumption and building operating costs.
“BungEES is a key step in the transformation of the European energy sector. The orchestration of energy services as a source of flexibility will play a central role in the electrification of buildings, paving the way for a more efficient and sustainable future,” he concludes.