The INVADE project – how will it affect us?
By Mari Kristine Buckholm, Smart Innovation Norway 5. June 2017
Last summer twelve European players landed the prestigious Horizon 2020 project, INVADE. The goal is to change the way energy is used, stored and generated.
“INVADE aims to be a tool to boost the share of renewable energy much further into our neighbourhoods”, says Pol Olivella, senior engineer at CITCEA-UPC, who is responsible for the communication and dissemination of the project.
European collaboration
The three-year project is a result of political, environmental and market pressures. It is one of the largest European research and innovation projects ever in the field of SmartGrid & Storage and has been awarded a total of 16 million euros.
Twelve partners across Europe will work together to test, validate and propose new and innovative energy solutions within the European market.
“The consortium’s expertise and knowledge provide the basis for interdisciplinary research, integrates different technological components, envisages innovative business models and involves a full chain of stakeholders in bringing a successful product to market. What’s most important is to create a flexible solution that can function in the European power market”, explains Dieter Hirdes, director of Research & Innovation at Smart Innovation Norway and project coordinator for INVADE.
Sustainable energy system
The partners will do that by integrating electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries to empower distributed and centralised storage in distribution grids.
“To get a sustainable energy system, the INVADE platform will put electricity consumers at the heart of the energy markets, allowing customers to charge electric vehicles when the sun is shining or to activate dishwashers when batteries are full”, notes Olivella.
Large scale pilot projects are carried out in Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Norway and the Netherlands. The pilots will be validated through mobile, distributed and centralized use cases in the distribution grid.
Important for society
“The project is important for society because there are large fluctuations in energy consumption and there is a limit to how large the peaks can be before they become problematic for power grids. The use of batteries, which can be charged during off-peak times, reduces peaks”, says Per Gjerløw, sales director for energy at Schneider Electric.
INVADE is a part of the Horizon 2020 program, in which companies are paid to engage in innovation. Smart Innovation Norway handled the INVADE application, and project coordinator Hirdes emphasizes the importance of such projects:
“It’s an excellent opportunity and companies should be better at both applying and succeeding with their applications. It’s a lot of work, but you’re competing against the best in Europe”.
Partners in the project:
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Smart Innovation Norway AS (NO, coordinator)
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Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – CITCEA (ES)
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Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
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Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT oy (FI)
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eSmart Systems AS (NO)
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NewEn Projects GmbH (DE)
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Albena JsCo (BG)
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Schneider Electric Norway (NO)
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LYSE (NO)
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Estabanell y Pahisa Energia (ES)
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ElaadNL (NL)
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GreenFlux ASSETS B.V. (NL)
Social media
INVADE updates
It is possible to control the speed of charging electric cars on a large scale with algorithms. This can be concluded from the results of a Smart Charging test on 700 public charging stations as part of the Horizon 2020 INVADE project. (4 years ago)
“I found the INVADE pilots incredibly interesting”
During the European Utility Week in Paris in November 2019, the INVADE project presented itself in a unique way in the EU Projects Zone. Using videos and an informative quiz, the INVADE stand was always busy. (4 years ago)
“Solutions like INVADE are necessary”
The Horizon 2020 INVADE project is coming to an end this year. Last week, a conference and a workshop were organized on behalf of the project and parallel to event Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. (4 years ago)
The INVADE project has resulted in five successful pilot stories and professional films have been made from each pilot site. You can watch them all here. (4 years ago)
The work package WP9: Business models and market structures, led by INVADE project partner Lyse has put forward a market structure for platform-based business models inspired by disruptive companies like Amazon and Airbnb. (4 years ago)
In the end of May, the INVADE consortium was gathered in the Netherlands. During the two-day meeting, all five pilot owners presented their progress to the project partners. (4 years ago)
Badenova sells and operates networks, energy storages and smart city infrastructures in a region of nearly 1 million inhabitants and adapts INVADE technology and solutions on site for its customers. (4 years ago)
“We will act on everything we have heard today”
When Norway’s Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment visited Smart Innovation Norway headquarters in Halden on Monday, they were introduced to the company’s unique EU research expertise. (5 years ago)
Energy businesses that manage to incorporate total social impact into their activities, products, services, and communication to customers and employees, will have the best premises for future business growth – and for contributing to a better world. (5 years ago)
What is the added value?
In a few weeks the INVADE integrated platform will be up and running and the pilot owners are both hopeful and excited about what the results will show. (5 years ago)