For a Greener Future: International Research Project Started

Press Release /

The energy transition necessitates flexible adjustment of energy generation and consumption to maximize the integration of renewable energies. Residential, commercial and industrial buildings account for a significant 35 percent of end-use energy consumption. This makes the flexible use of volatile energies, such as wind and solar energy, in this sector instrumental to the energy transition. The European research project FlexBIT is developing digital solutions to harness the hidden flexibility capabilities in energy systems and to increase energy efficiency in various sectors sustainably.

© Fraunhofer IFF, Anne Bornkessel

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action reports that around one third of the end-use energy in Germany is consumed by residential, commercial and industrial buildings, primarily for heat and hot water. These buildings are playing a major role in the energy transition since they not only enable savings but can also actively take part in renewable energy use. FlexBIT is starting exactly here by involving buildings and their users in energy communities to enable horizontal and vertical energy sharing, thus furthering a more stable and more sustainable energy supply.

Innovations in Focus: Energy Communities and Demonstrator in Germany

A key element of the project is the development and testing of energy communities in which users can actively share and exchange energy. FlexBIT is demonstrating scalable practical solutions both to increase self-consumption and to decrease peak loads.

An outstanding example is the demonstrator in Germany where an industrial energy community is being created, which combines industrial (aRTE Möbel GmbH) and tertiary (Aue Funeral GmbH) buildings. These buildings are already using photovoltaic systems and will be supported by FlexBIT solutions, such as blockchain technology, in the future to optimize the power flows and make sustainability verifiable. This not only helps integrate renewable energies better but also serves as a role model for other industrial networks.

Transnational Collaboration for a Carbon-Free Future

The FlexBIT research project unites businesses and research organizations in Germany, Italy, Malta, Poland and Greece. The goal is to meet the flexibility challenges in energy systems and to advance the integration of renewable energy sources. FlexBIT will contribute with advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and innovative storage system solutions to stabilize fluctuations in electricity generation and to expedite the decarbonization of the European energy landscape.

“Our vision for FlexBIT is to harness energy flexibility capabilities in residential buildings, commercial buildings and industrial buildings,” explains Dr. Pio Alessandro Lombardi, project manager at Fraunhofer IFF. “By introducing energy communities, we are establishing a platform for sustainable and collaborative renewable energy use.”

The project was funded as part of the CETPartnership Joint Call 2023 and is being supported by national funding agencies and the EU's research and innovation funding program Horizon Europe. The project period is 30 months.