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#SmartWithDIGITISE: Foundations for consumer participation in energy markets

As Europe accelerates its transition towards decentralised, flexible, and consumer-driven energy systems, the need for intelligent digital solutions capable of supporting active consumer participation has become increasingly important. The energy market is evolving rapidly, shaped by the growth of renewable energy sources, increasing electrification, data-driven services, and the emergence of flexibility markets that require stronger interaction between consumers, technologies, and energy providers.

Within this context, the DIGITISE project continues to develop the technical and operational foundations needed to support the next generation of digital energy services. Recent progress reflects this broader European ambition by focusing on the creation of consumer-centred, interoperable, and flexibility-oriented solutions designed to strengthen participation in future energy markets.

Building the Foundations for Consumer Participation in Energy Markets

One of the central pillars of DIGITISE is now served, supporting the coordination and definition of the project’s core requirements, business scenarios, technical infrastructure, and evaluation methodologies. The work carried out during recent months has focused on transforming market needs and user expectations into a structured framework capable of supporting innovative digital energy services across diverse European contexts.

The activities performed resulted in:

• The definition of key business scenarios for digital energy services
• The identification of user requirements and consumer needs
• The establishment of project infrastructure and technical specifications
• The development of performance evaluation methodologies and KPIs
• The proposal of flexibility-oriented products supporting active consumer engagement

These activities contribute directly to the broader European objective of creating more flexible, resilient, and citizen-oriented energy systems capable of integrating renewable energy sources while supporting energy efficiency and market participation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_PnGfK4hVI

Intelligent Energy Optimisation at Household Level

As households increasingly become active participants in energy systems through self-consumption, distributed generation, and flexibility services, intelligent optimisation tools are becoming essential for managing energy consumption more efficiently. The DIGITISE Energy Optimization Tool addresses this challenge by applying forecasted energy profiles generated from learned user data to support smarter and more responsible energy decisions at household level.

The solution aims to:

• Improve self-consumption ratios
• Increase household energy efficiency
• Reduce energy-related costs
• Strengthen consumer awareness and engagement

By analysing consumption behaviour and forecasting future energy needs, the tool enables more adaptive and informed energy management practices aligned with the goals of Europe’s digital energy transition. To support dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities, an internal demonstration video has also been developed, providing an initial overview of the Energy Optimization Tool and its functionality.

https://youtu.be/osX_IB3_Yu8

Developing the Intelligence Behind Flexibility Services

Recent work has primarily focused on developing the optimisation algorithms that form the intelligence layer of the solution. These algorithms are designed to process forecasted consumption profiles and support adaptive optimisation strategies capable of responding to dynamic user behaviours and changing energy conditions.

At the same time, the final user dashboard is being developed by project partner APPART, where several DIGITISE tools and services will be integrated into a unified digital platform. This integrated environment aims to simplify user interaction while supporting broader interoperability across digital energy services.

To support dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities, an internal demonstration video has also been developed, providing an initial overview of the Energy Optimization Tool and its functionality.

Contributing to Europe’s Future Energy Ecosystem

The recent progress highlights DIGITISE’s contribution to the ongoing transformation of the European energy landscape. By combining technical infrastructure, flexibility concepts, AI-driven optimisation, and user-centred design principles, DIGITISE supports the development of energy systems where citizens play a more active role in consumption, flexibility, and decision-making processes.

As Europe continues to move towards climate neutrality and digitalisation, solutions such as the DIGITISE Energy Optimization Tool demonstrate how intelligent technologies can support not only efficiency and sustainability, but also greater consumer empowerment within the energy markets of tomorrow.

Join forces with DIGITISE – the digital energy revolution is just getting started!

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnapshots: Powering Connections with consumers and the energy community to drive change

The DIGITISE project is built on our commitment to empower consumers in the energy transition, grounded in the firm belief that the future of energy is fundamentally about people. That principle has guided our Communication and Dissemination strategy from the onset and the results so far are inspiring!

Putting Citizens at the Heart of Energy

Our journey began with a direct question: How can we make energy work better for you? To find the answer, we launched our first series of Energy Dialogues. These sessions established a direct line of communication between experts and citizens focusing on exploring perceptions, attitudes, concerns, and everyday behaviors related to energy. 

More than 130 participants across our four demonstration countries - Greece, Spain, Croatia, Ireland - contributed their views. This participatory approach allowed us to gather key insights and lessons learned building a robust knowledge base for the subsequent iterations of this initiative. By validating our future roadmap through these collaborative discussions, we are ensuring that the DIGITISE solutions are built with citizens’ needs as the blueprint. 

Stronger Together via impactful collaborations 

One of our proudest achievements to date is the birth of the E-NERGY Cluster. Embracing the truth that we can achieve more together, DIGITISE joined forces with four sister Horizon Europe projects - DECODIT, ENERGENIUS, EU-DREAM, and CELINE - to create a partnership that will break down silos and foster greater public participation in the energy transition.

Since its launch in October 2024, our collaboration has generated a strong programme of joint dissemination and communication activities; a joint booth, webinar and workshop at ENLIT Europe 2025, our first collaborative podcast episode, and an upcoming co-authored article on how AI can return power to the hands of consumers. 

Beyond the cluster, our active role in the BRIDGE initiative - the European Commission's platform uniting Horizon Europe projects in smart grids, energy storage, and digitalisation - and the Int:net community keeps DIGITISE embedded within Europe's foremost networks of energy experts.

Advocating Open Science & Dissemination 

Committed to the European Commission’s principle that knowledge belongs to everyone, we adopted an "open science" approach from day one.  Our dedicated community on Zenodo provides free, open access to project materials as they are produced. Combined with our peer-reviewed scientific publications and active participation in major EU energy conferences, we are on track to exceed our targets for sharing high-impact research with the world. 

A Growing Digital Community

Our efforts to build a vibrant online family and keep the conversation charged are exceeding expectations. Our social media campaigns across LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky and X, featuring rich multimedia content and engaging stories, have generated over 55,000 organic impressions. Meanwhile, our website has officially become the project’s "central hub", surpassing 4,500 views in its first year. Whether you are looking for snapshots of our latest milestones, interviews with our experts, events or the latest edition of our newsletter, our digital home is the place to see the energy transition in action.

Meet our Experts’ Team

The Communication and Dissemination team led by AUSTRALO, a marketing agency rooted in Research and Innovation, is responsible for the overall design and implementation of the C&D strategy. With a track record across 52+ EU-funded projects, AUSTRALO brings all its extensive experience and full-stack service portfolio in Dissemination, Exploitation, Communication and Ecosystem Building. Partnered with Missions Publiques, specialists in the design and implementation of deliberative processes and organization of citizen dialogues, and active contributions from our consortium experts, we are ensuring that the energy transition will soon be a reality that genuinely empowers every consumer. 

Join forces with DIGITISE - the digital energy revolution is just getting started!

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnapshots: Pilot Sites’ Readiness and the Path to Impact Assessment

As digital transformation advances across the energy sector, the ability to demonstrate, evaluate, and assess the real impact of innovative solutions becomes increasingly important. Ensuring that new technologies are effectively integrated within operational environments requires not only technical readiness, but also a clear understanding of site-specific conditions, organisational processes, and regulatory frameworks. Establishing this foundation is essential for enabling reliable testing, meaningful evaluation, and scalable deployment of digital energy solutions.

Building the Foundations for Demonstration Activities

During the first reporting period, DIGITISE made significant progress in preparing pilot sites for demonstration, evaluation, and impact assessment activities. A key achievement was the comprehensive characterisation of each site, covering existing energy assets, digital infrastructure, available data sources, and relevant legal considerations. This process combined structured online surveys with targeted on-site visits, allowing project partners to validate collected information, identify site -specific constraints, and establish a consistent and reliable baseline across all pilots.

Based on this groundwork, a detailed gap analysis was carried out to determine the additional technical requirements needed for the effective deployment of DIGITISE solutions. This included identifying missing sensors, actuators, and technical components necessary to enable data collection, system integration, and performance monitoring. The results informed a coordinated strategy for equipment selection, procurement, and installation, ensuring compatibility and interoperability across all pilot environments.

Testing Environments and Preparation for Impact Assessment
To support early-stage validation, a dedicated Living Lab environment was established, enabling controlled testing of DIGITISE solutions prior to their deployment in real-life settings. Initial trials focused on verifying data acquisition processes, ensuring reliable data flows, and assessing early analytics functionalities. These activities provided practical insights that supported the refinement of system configurations and improved overall technical readiness.

In parallel, detailed planning for site-specific demonstrations advanced through close coordination with local stakeholders. This included scheduling installation activities, addressing data management requirements, and defining risk mitigation measures to support smooth deployment.

While large-scale demonstrations and comprehensive impact assessments are planned for the next phase of the project, important preparatory steps have already been completed. Deployment sequences have been outlined, and a structured framework has been established to evaluate socio-economic, environmental, and technological impacts. Together, these efforts lay the groundwork for robust validation of DIGITISE solutions and their contribution to a more efficient, resilient, and data-driven energy system.

Meet our Experts’ Team

METLEN, a global leader in the energy and metals sectors, has been leading the DIGITISE project’s demonstration, evaluation and impact assessment efforts. With a core focus on sustainability and the circular economy, METLEN bridges the gap between digital innovation and industrial reality. 

By leveraging its extensive experience in large-scale industrial operations and energy systems, METLEN ensures that DIGITISE solutions are rigorously validated in real-world operational environments. Their work is instrumental in coordinating pilot activities and evaluating the socio-economic, environmental and technological impacts of the project, transforming innovation into measurable, practical success.

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnapshots: Digital Twins and Consumer Tools, Enabling Smarter Energy Participation

The transformation of energy markets increasingly relies on digital technologies that allow consumers and market actors to participate more actively in energy management and flexibility services. As decentralised energy systems expand and new market roles emerge, tools that translate complex data into accessible services become essential for enabling informed decisions and broader participation.

Digital Twin Foundations for Energy Services

During the first reporting period, DIGITISE achieved important progress in developing practical open-source digital tools designed to strengthen consumer engagement in modern energy and marketplace environments. A key milestone was the first implementation of the DIGITISE Household Digital Twin, built on the GridLAB-D (Grid Laboratory Distribution) open-source platform. The solution enables modelling of households with diverse characteristics and energy loads, allowing service providers to access insights through an API (Application Programming Interface) and develop data-driven services while also supporting consumers’ digital energy literacy.

DIGITISE also introduced advanced tools to support aggregators, retailers, and local energy communities operating in evolving flexibility markets. A portfolio management solution was developed with interactive dashboards for integrating energy assets and distributed energy resources. The system groups assets into virtual power plants using AI-based clustering, visualises them geographically, and generates optimised dispatch schedules that help market actors manage distributed flexibility and coordinate energy resources more efficiently.

Enabling Consumer Flexibility and Data Insights

Expanding participation in emerging flexibility markets, the first version of the DIGITISE Flexibility Marketplace was delivered. The platform enables consumers and prosumers to offer flexibility at the asset level and establish transparent agreements with aggregators through secure digital contracting mechanisms, supporting new forms of consumer participation in energy trading and demand response services.

To further empower citizens within the growing data-driven energy economy, an initial behavioural profiling and insights application was developed. Using machine and deep learning techniques, the tool analyses household consumption patterns and IoT data to identify behavioural trends and translate them into actionable insights that help users better understand and manage their energy use.

These developments resulted in the first release of DIGITISE digital tools supporting consumer engagement and flexibility services. Supported by coordinated data collection with pilot sites and strong collaboration across project partners, the integrated set of solutions establishes a foundation for real-world deployment and contributes to more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable energy markets.

Meet our Experts’ Team

Work Package 5, dedicated to DIGITISE digital twin solutions and tools for consumer engagement in marketplace environments, is led by UBITECH ENERGY. The company brings together experienced ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) consultants and energy research innovators with a strong track record in the design, development, and commercialisation of smart energy research and innovation projects. Building on extensive expertise across domains such as smart grids, energy efficiency, IoT (Internet of Things), cybersecurity and data privacy, renewable integration, energy markets, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data analytics, UBITECH ENERGY contributes to advancing digital solutions that support the transformation of the energy value chain and the transition towards a more connected, data-driven energy ecosystem.

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnapshots: From Data to Daily Decisions - Empowering DIGITISE End Users

Digital transformation only creates impact when it reaches everyday life. In DIGITISE, this principle has guided the development of cross-sector services and applications designed to empower consumers and prosumers in their daily energy and household-related decisions.

User-Centred Digital Tools for Energy and Smart Living

During the first 18 months, advanced data and digital twin capabilities were translated into user-friendly applications that support energy savings, self-consumption, investment planning, and household well-being. The first version of the Energy Savings and Self-Consumption application, combining analytical logic with intuitive functionality, demonstrates how households can optimise their energy use, increase self-consumption and reduce costs. Through prototype simulations across different scenarios, users can clearly see the financial and operational benefits of smarter energy management.

Beyond energy optimisation, DIGITISE expanded its vision to integrated household digital services. A digital twin-powered investment guidance tool was developed to support evidence-based decision-making, helping users assess financial implications and potential returns of home energy investments. In parallel, the first version of the Health and Security application extended the concept of smart living by integrating non-energy services into the same ecosystem.

All these services converge within the DIGITISE Consumer App and dashboard - a single, coherent access point offering a personalised and visually consistent user experience. Connected directly to the underlying data platform and validated with both synthetic and pilot-specific data, the dashboard transforms complex analytics into accessible, actionable insights.

These applications establish the baseline suite of DIGITISE cross-sector services, strengthening digital literacy, enabling informed decisions and fostering active consumer participation in future energy and data-driven markets.

Meet our Experts’ Team 

The development of these user-facing solutions has been led by University College Dublin (UCD), whose expertise in digital innovation and user-centered design has ensured that the DIGITISE ecosystem not only functions technically, but genuinely responds to the needs and behaviours of end users in the energy transition.

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnaphots: Building the Digital Spine of DIGITISE

If innovation is to scale, data must speak a common language. That has been the guiding principle behind the work on Data Management, Interoperability, Sharing and AI Analytics within DIGITISE.

Building the Data Backbone

Over the past months, we have focused on building the data backbone that will power secure, interoperable and intelligent digital energy services. At the heart of this effort lies the first version of the DIGITISE Semantic Data Model, a semantic foundation capable of supporting cross-domain interoperability. By aligning open standards from the energy, health and finance sectors, and extending them with concepts tailored to flexibility markets and storage systems, we created a shared vocabulary across domains. This unified language ensures that diverse data sources can connect, interact and evolve together, supporting long-term scalability and reuse across the DIGITISE ecosystem.

But a common language is only the beginning. We also developed the mechanisms that allow data to flow safely and meaningfully. Flexible data ingestion pipelines now handle batch uploads, API exchanges and real-time streams from household assets, distributed energy resources and external platforms. These are reinforced by governance services that validate data quality, apply semantic mapping and enforce consistency. In parallel, the first version of the DIGITISE data space introduced structured search and exploration tools, a marketplace framework for managing data access agreements and fine-grained security based on user-defined access policies and privacy preferences.

With this trusted infrastructure in place, intelligence could emerge. Initial AI-driven analytics services were developed to support energy demand and generation forecasting, flexibility estimation and even non-energy insights such as comfort and occupancy profiling. All components are integrated into a scalable execution environment with automated deployment and integration workflows, ensuring that innovation is not only designed, but ready to operate.

That’s how we form the digital spine of DIGITISE: a robust, privacy-aware and interoperable ecosystem where data becomes insight, insight becomes action, and digital energy services become truly intelligent and user-centered.

Meet our Experts’ Team 

The Data Management, Interoperability and AI Analytics activities were led by SUITE5, an Information Technology Solutions and Services SME, bringing strong expertise in data platforms, semantic technologies and AI-driven systems. Working closely with DIGITISE partners, the team ensures that we are not simply building a technical infrastructure, but developing a secure, interoperable and scalable data ecosystem.

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by agnieszka@australo.org

#DIGITISEsnapshots: Requirements, Architecture and Verification - Building the foundations of DIGITISE

The first 18 months of the DIGITISE project have been defined by a singular goal: establishing a robust, user-centric foundation for the future of innovative digital energy services. Massive work on requirements’ analysis, architecture definition, and verification aimed to merge technical rigor with real-world insights and transition from conceptual planning to a clear technical blueprint guiding the design of all upcoming DIGITISE services and tools.

From User Insights to Technical Blueprint

We believe that innovation only succeeds if it serves the people using it. To ensure that DIGITISE solutions are firmly rooted in real end-user needs, we conducted extensive stakeholder engagement across all four demonstration countries (Greece, Spain, Croatia, Ireland). Through a mix of questionnaires, focus groups, and "Energy Dialogues," we gathered direct input from end-users. This feedback was then translated into a structured set of business scenarios and detailed use cases, capturing both functional and non-functional requirements, that reflect user expectations, social and organizational considerations and regulatory constraints. 

Beyond that, the project performed a "deep dive" into the socio-economic, behavioral and regulatory barriers affecting  digital energy services’ adoption. From energy literacy to data privacy, user acceptance and affordability, we have mapped the hurdles that often stall innovation. By reviewing both European and national regulatory frameworks, we’ve ensured that DIGITISE solutions are not just compliant, but adaptable across diverse markets. Committed to the principle that results must be transparent and measurable, a multidimensional performance measurement and verification framework was defined, to track our impact across energy, technical, economic, environmental, and social metrics.

Additionally, analysis of the current and emerging energy and flexibility market models was performed, leading to the definition of flexibility-oriented concepts aligned with consumer participation. 

All these workstreams—user insights, market analysis, regulatory reviews— have come together to shape our Reference Architecture. This modular, interoperable, and privacy-aware framework serves as the project's "brain," defining the components, data flows and interfaces that bridge the gap between users’ needs and technical implementation and will ultimately turn users’ participation into a reality for the flexibility markets of tomorrow.

Meet our Experts’ Team 

The Requirements, Architecture and Verification team, was led by CIRCE, a leading RTO in the domains of Smart Grids and RES integration with strong knowhow in technology solutions for energy services. Working hand-in-hand with DIGITISE partners, the team ensures we aren't just building tech; we’re building a human-centric, measurable, and interoperable ecosystem, designed to empower users in the energy transition. 

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by agnieszka@australo.org

DIGITISE Delivers Functional Applications and Solutions for the European Energy Market - 1st Review Meeting

The DIGITISE 1st Review Meeting was held on 5 February in Brussels, bringing together the Project Officer and the full DIGITISE Consortium, coordinated by Eleni Tsironi from UBITECH, to assess progress and alignment with the project’s objectives. The meeting demonstrated how the advances achieved to date are collectively driving the project towards its final goals - delivering functional applications and solutions for the European energy market that place consumers at the centre of all developments.

Foundational work on requirements, architecture and verification ensured that all developments are firmly grounded in real end-user needs, regulatory conditions and socio-economic realities across pilot countries. A comprehensive set of business scenarios, use cases and multidimensional performance indicators was defined and consolidated into a modular, interoperable and privacy-aware reference architecture, providing a coherent blueprint for technical implementation and measurable impact.

At the same time, significant advances were made in building the DIGITISE data ecosystem and user-facing solutions. A shared semantic data model, secure data governance mechanisms and AI-driven analytics services were implemented to enable trustworthy, scalable and interoperable digital energy services. The first suite of cross-sector applications, including energy savings tools, digital twin solutions, flexibility marketplace functionalities and a unified consumer dashboard, was delivered and validated in preparation for real-world deployment. Pilot site characterisation, Living Lab testing and structured impact assessment planning have positioned the project for the next phase of large-scale demonstrations and tangible socio-economic and environmental results.

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by agnieszka@australo.org

4th DIGITISE Plenary Meeting in Murcia

3–4 December 2025 | Voltiva Energy facility

The 4th DIGITISE Plenary Meeting took place on 3–4 December 2025 at the Voltiva Energy facility in Murcia, bringing partners together for two days of structured discussion and technical coordination. The consortium reviewed progress up to Month 18, covering overall achievements, management and reporting procedures, and key updates from across the work packages.

Presentations included the DIGITISE reference architecture, developments in architecture definition and tool prototypes from WP2, WP4 and WP5, and advances in the data space and AI analytics led by WP3, providing a shared baseline for the project’s next phase.

Attention then turned to preparations for the forthcoming demonstrations and pilots. WP6 presented the status of its activities, confirming that ex-ante audits had been completed, equipment plans agreed, and the Living Lab setup was progressing through early verification cycles. A draft coordination framework is guiding site-level planning, and all demonstration locations have now been mapped in readiness for initial deployments. These updates offered a clear view of the steps required to move from development to early-stage testing.

The meeting concluded with a sessions led by AUSTRALO, regarding dissemination and communication efforts, and Missions Publiques - on the upcoming Energy Dialogues, outlining the proposed schedule and clarifying partner contributions. This exchange helped ensure an aligned approach to the engagement activities that will accompany the technical demonstrations.

Overall, the Murcia meeting strengthened coordination across the consortium and positioned DIGITISE to enter the validation and pilot phase with a coherent plan for the year ahead.

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by agnieszka@australo.org