European Dynamics Luxemburg SA (ED)
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Luxembourg

EUROPEAN DYNAMICS LUXEMBURG SA (ED) is a leading European software vendor and ICT services provider, operating internationally through its offices and antennas in Alicante, Athens, Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Nicosia, Stockholm, Tunis, etc. The company designs, develops, supports and promotes software ICT applications using integrated, state-of-art technology to governments, public organizations and private enterprises in more than 27 countries in the world. ED has an extended expertise in the areas of e-Government, e-Business, e- Procurement, e-Collaboration, groupware and workflow, content, document and knowledge management, communications middleware, ICT security. Own software products and tools have been developed in these domains. All the products and services are offered for web, intranet and Internet environments and are based on open architectures and state-of-the-art technologies.

ED supports open source software (OSS) initiatives and distributes a wide range of OSS solutions free of license fees. ED is an ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 27001:2013 certified company and holds a NATO and EU security clearance (secret). ED has expertise in the provision of SaaS, e-business (B2C, B2B, B2E, B2G, G2G, etc.), BroadBand Services, e-collaboration and workflow management, developing its own software applications and products, offered for web, Internet and portable devices, relying on open architectures

Role in INTERRFACE:

ED will be the overall project coordinator. ED will contribute to the SOTA analysis, requirements and specifications elicitation in WP2. ED will be responsible for the functional and technical system architecture design. The data governance middleware of the IEGSA platform will be one of the core contributions of ED in the INTERRFACE project. Finally, ED will integrate the developed services into a unified architecture and will contribute to the communication, dissemination and exploitation of the project in WP9

University of Piraeus Research Center
Technical Coordinator
Greece
The University of Piraeus Research Centre (UPRC) was founded in 1989 as part of the University that offers administration and legal support to basic and applied research, carried out by the staff of the University of Piraeus, in national and international contexts. The high quality of research and consulting work carried out to-date by the UPRC has led to a large volume of collaborations either in international frameworks (e.g., EU-funded projects) or undertaken on behalf of large domestic companies, institutions and Ministries.
 
For more information visit the website of UPRC https://www.kep.unipi.gr/.
 
The Energy and Environmental Policy Laboratory (E2PL) of the University of Piraeus is the research entity within the University of Piraeus that will carry out the research for the project. The E2PL was established in 2016, within the Department of International and European Studies of the School of Economics, Business and International Studies. The E2PL, through its robust modelling capability skills and the multi-disciplinary expertise of its staff, produces high quality, independent research in energy and environmental policy issues. It specialized in energy markets, energy-economy-environment (E3) modelling, environmental assessments and decisions making in energy and environmental policy issues. It elaborates research projects with the business, industry and energy sectors and disseminates its research work through international scientific journals, conferences, books and its own working paper series. The Energy and Environmental The E2PL main research activity focuses on the following areas:
 
– Modelling the Energy Markets and Energy Systems
 
– Energy and Environmental Regulation
 
– Energy and Environmental Policy
 
– Climate Change & Environmental Impact Assessments
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT:
UPRC will serve as the INTERRFACE Technical Manager (Dr. Lambros Ekonomou) contributing to the management of the research, which will ensure a strong consistency between the scientific and technical WPs (WP1). As WP7 leader will coordinate the pilots’ deployment, demonstration and evaluation in the Demo Area 3 (pan-EU clearing market). Furthermore UPRC will develop a prototype and scenarios simulator for wholesale and retail market integration, incorporating demand and RES forecasting, The prototype, which will be a discrete pilot of the project, will be developed for the integrated wholesale and retail market in South East Europe, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. It will provide the mathematical formulation for wholesale and retail market integration, considering the active participation of demand and RES generation in electricity market. Moreover it will provide recommendations facility for system operators (TSOs, DSOs) to give incentives to consumers, prosumers, storage, DER and flexibility service providers to participate in integrated wholesale and retail markets and to provide energy services in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. Finally UPRC will contribute to the exploitation and dissemination strategy and activities of INTERRFACE.

European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity
Innovation, Dissemination & Exploitation Manager
Belgium

ENTSO-E is the official interface between the EU and transmission system operators. It was established and given legal mandates by the EU’s Third Legislative Package for the Internal Energy Market in 2009, which aims at further liberalizing the gas and electricity markets in the EU. ENTSO-E gathers 41 members and one observer member across 35 countries. ENTSO-E members serve half a billion customers linking power generation to distribution systems and large industrial customers, and countries to countries. They facilitate one of the largest power market in the world. They plan the development of transmission infrastructure that in most cases they own. By EU law, ENTSO-E is responsible for several building blocks of the energy union. To name a few, ENTSO-E is in charge of drafting new EU technical rules for the power system and market – the EU network codes. ENTSO-E is also issuing every two year a pan-European 10-year network development plan to support Europe’s climate objectives. It also manages a European transparency platform making near to real-time grid data accessible to all market participants. ENTSO-E is also advising and making proposals on EU policies impacting the power system taking a European, system and customer view. ENTSO-E supports the energy transition and innovation in power networks.

ENTSO-E members operate, maintain and develop 300 000 km of lines (which laid out circle the earth seven times)

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

ENTSO-E will perform tasks mainly in Work Package 4 which is related to the development of an architecture enable connection of various platforms in EU by the use of 2 ENTSO-E tools: Operation Planning Data Exchange, its knowledge from Horizon 2020 funded project TDX Assist   and Work Package 9 which relates to upscale and implementation through its relevant member Committees such as Market, Digital and Research and Innovation or the TSO/DSO Group.  ENTSO-E and will also contribute to Work Packages 2, 3. 

ENTSO-E has the technical capacity to perform the project, first through the in-house expertise through the presence of 80 staff people of ENTSO-E can use also the expertise of its other members which are gathered in the Research Development and Innovation Committee and Digital Committee. ENTSO-E is a non-profit organization. 


EMAX

Belgium
EMAX is a business consultancy firm specializing in the electricity sector and consists of high-level experts in the field of market integration, planning, research and innovation of transmission and distribution systems. EMAX is a bridge between R&D excellence and business realization. Its mission is to help customers to maximize their core competence and resources, apply best practices and translate R&D initiatives into business applications efficiently.
 
The EMAX team relies on highly experienced former ENTSO-E senior advisors and from big industries with a broad view on the European energy network and a deep understanding of European research and innovation activities. EMAX members have amassed value adding experience throughout the energy value chain from actively participating in daily TSO operations and maintenance activities to contributing to European energy policy development.  Through their support of the ENTSO-E Market, System Development and Research & Innovation Committees EMAX experts bring an added dimension of integrated thinking to projects.  This type of joined up thinking, linking R&D, planning, market and operations activities, is essential for businesses to sustain growth throughout a Fourth Industrial Revolution characterized by cyber physical systems and the internet of things.
 
Specific project experience includes the definition of a regulatory framework to enable super grid with the eHighway project, the implementation of elements of the Capacity Allocation and Congestion Management Network Code and leading work packages in the Gridplus, VSYNC, MetaPV, Offshoregrid projects.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Within INTERRFACE project, EMAX will lead the WP6 demo on peer-to-peer and will be the task leader of Task 4.3 on Blockchain. EMAX is also involved in other WPs and tasks and will contribute its expertise towards the success of the project.

Innovative Energy and Information Technologies Ltd

Bulgaria
Innovative Energy and Information Technologies LTD (IEIT) provides a vast range of business consultancy and innovative support services mainly in the sectors of Energy and Information Technologies. IEIT is based in Hi-Tech Park IZOT in Sofia, working mainly with European companies and organizations.
The business energy and information technologies consultancy specialists have many years of experience and unique expertise in power generation, transmission and distribution networks, smart energy, designing and implementing wholesale energy markets, distributed energy resource technologies, energy efficiency, software development and applications.
The IEIT team members have also experience in national and European research and innovation actions projects both as partners and as leaders of demonstration pilots.
The company has a high sense of responsibility towards its customers and partners and its main objectives are: (a) the design, development and delivery of innovative energy and information technologies services and products and (b) the implementation of research and development projects in the field of power systems, energy and software development.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
The company provides expertise in IT, energy and R&D sectors and will assist in the customers’ needs specification, design of system architecture, big data algorithms. Furthermore, it will contribute significantly in (a) the integration of demonstrations technology in the Bulgarian electricity network and market, as a significant local stakeholder, (b) the evaluation and dissemination of the respective results.

ENERIM OY

Finland
ENERIM OY is an independent service provider whose main business domain is in energy market services and systems. We provide a wide range of different flexible energy market services and IT-solutions to our customers. Our services can be divided into three different categories: Energy market services, Smart Grid Solutions and Energy Sector IT Systems. In addition to the services, we build and provide IT-systems in the fields of Customer Information Management, Energy Data Management and Energy Management. These are also used and developed as cloud services to cover needs of distributed customers. We are part of the Empower Group which is owned by AAC Capital Holding together with the acting management. Development in the company is led by Jan Segerstam who has been developing energy domain business models, processes and operation models for many years within the Nordic and European energy domain for example with the Finnish Energy Industries, Eurelectric and Nordic development groups.
We develop our expertise of electricity markets and knowledge of the energy business domain constantly, so that we can provide solutions that not only fit customer needs, but take the domain further in realizing overarching goals in the energy transition. This allows our customers to focus on improving their own competitive edge while gaining access to cutting edge technology and future-proof processes. We have participated in several EU research and innovation projects as well as several National Finnish research and innovation projects. 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
In the INTERRFACE project, Empower IM will be participating in market design tasks, information model work and developing the pan-European concept and marketplace functionality for enabling optimum allocation of resources based on market incentives. In the demonstration phase we will enable flexible resources to be connected to the market and to be operated based on market information. Empower IM will also enable local reporting and settlement of flexible resources based on market results.

Software Company Ltd

Bulgaria
Software Company Ltd is a Bulgarian private firm that specializes in software development. Since 1996, the company has offered a wide range of high quality services in the development, delivery, and maintenance of software in Europe and USA. 
Our key market advantage is the ability to leverage a wealth of experience in this sector, a network of local and international partners, and a very competitive pricing strategy to deliver quality software solutions. The company is also ISO 9001:2008 certified.
Software Company is the largest provider of PACS solutions in Bulgaria, with over 90% market share. We have experience in gathering requirements, designing, building and testing software related to renewable energy, medical imaging, business intelligence and others. In addition, the company is experienced in developing and customizing business intelligence applications, as well as software for managing databases and data mining. This will be very relevant in the context of the INTERRFACE project.
We have worked with a number of partners from Europe and USA in the following areas:
Green Energy and Energy Efficiency software
Custom software development for Windows
Web sites and Internet aware software
Database management software, Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence
Medical Software – PACS and RIS
What’s more important for the INTERRFACE project, Software Company has successfully completed a renewable energy project under FP7 of the EC. The project EAGLE, “Development and demonstration of a dynamic, web-based, renewable energy rating platform”, was funded by the European Commission and completed in consortium with another 12 European partners. The goal was to build a website that automatically identifies and measures roofs, assesses their suitability for photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, and provides an estimate of costs, benefits, and return on investment
Software Company was responsible for developing the platform and integrating all of the data and calculations into a single functioning website. This included - Linked databases of addresses, geographical coordinates, and LiDAR data; Standard and simplified user interfaces; automatic calculation of available roof space given address or geo coordinates; provision of detailed options and prices and integration of calculations and report generation. 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Software Company is an IT provider with great expertise in EU projects and will assist in review of existing tools, system design architecture, big data algorithms and implementation of the IT technology parts of the demos in Bulgaria. 

C&G d.o.o. Ljubljana

Slovenia
C&G d.o.o. Ljubljana is a specialized company in the area of engineering for power supply and control systems. The company operations are divided into three organizational departments that share research and development, marketing, and business operations.
 
Engineering is the company’s core business. Successful operations with power, transmission and distribution companies have encouraged the management to present the engineering projects also to other infrastructure customers (gas, railway, and mine industry) and foreign markets. The products and services department is focused on the development and sales of products and services, which are based on in-house research and development. Products and services were developed because of the needs and experience identified in engineering projects. The company’s products and services encompass production, supplier supervision, installation and start-up of products in the field, and various service activities. In the area of specialized products for monitoring temperature of overhead transmission and distribution lines the company is one of the leading producers in the international market.
 
The company is active in smart grids and producer of device to discovering the location of the conductor interruption, which in some cases is very difficult to detect, for example, when the conductors are isolated or interrupted conductors fall on the surface that is not conductive or are interrupted in the air. In these cases, the electric current between the interrupted conductor and the earth is not big enough to operate using conventional electrical protection (e.g., long line, poor contact with the earth due to insulation on the conductors, due to the rock substrate, dry sand, asphalt, etc.). IN that case is used the sensor Advanced LISA and the protective system with sensors mounted on the poles along the medium-voltage line.
 
The wholesale department is specialized in marketing products of Slovene and foreign producers in domestic and foreign markets for the needs of electric power industry, industrial and installation organizations.
 
In 2007, the company established a Research Institute in order to enhance the development process for products and services. Since the company operations are diversified into many fields, the quality assurance system is supported by different standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, 10CFR50 Appendix B), which is also the company’s strategic and competitive advantage.
 
The company places a considerable emphasis on strict project management. Therefore the control procedures for standard quality assurance are applied to all projects in order to constantly monitor safety, quality and progress. The quality of the entire business is crucial to the successful long- term business performance of the organisation.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Without proper device management and network information, it is impossible to operate a multi-level layer market framework. The task is to collect technical information about the existing assets and aging functions. The needed sensor units and measurements are provided by C&G based on its experience in the field.

Cintech Solutions Ltd

Cyprus
CINTECH SOLUTIONS LTD is s a leading service provider for companies that are operating in engineering, transport, defence, information technologies, communications, environment and renewable energy sectors. We deliver a comprehensive range of engineering, operations, software development and project management services internationally.
 
With resources and expertise in a vast range of fields, we build relationships with clients that are characterised by flexibility, adaptability and desire to meet and exceed expectations.
 
The scope of our work ranges from small projects through to multi-million euros large demonstration projects and services contracts. We strongly value relationship contracting and are a reliable, trusted business partner.
 
The professionals at CINTECH include project managers, engineers, economists, and financial analysts. Our team has extensive significant experience in all facets of the modern industry and market. We are employee-owned and independent, which gives our clients the confidence that our team is motivated to satisfy their needs and represent their interests.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
CINTECH will be involved in WP8 “Business Opportunities – Cascade Funding”. CINTECH will be responsible for the preparation and the dissemination activities regarding the open calls and will also participate in the final selection and contracting of the selected open calls. Finally, CINTECH will contribute to the overall dissemination, communication and exploitation of the INTERRFACE project, bringing the business uptake aspect.

Realaiz Doo.

Serbia
REALAIZ DOO (former CEETEL Beograd DOO Preduzeće za telekomunikacijske usluge (www.realaiz.rs) is a provider of IT services in Belgrade with a rich record of participation in international projects in cooperation with other companies of the EUROPEAN DYNAMICS group. 
REALAIZ operates since 2000, employing today more than 20 experts. REALAIZ designs, develops and supports, for numerous international customers, software solutions based on state-of-the-art technologies and methods. Our focus is on the following:
e-Government
e-Business (B2C, B2B, B2E, etc.)
e-Collaboration
workflow, content, document and knowledge management
network management
IT security
Internet of Things
R&D (Research and Development)
The consultants, project managers, software architects and software engineers of the company, design and build software applications customised to the requirements of its clients. Its highly skilled research and development team provides modern solutions covering contemporary business and technology needs.
The service spectrum includes:
Technology and business consulting;
R&D (Research and Development)
Software design;
Software architecture;
Software development;
System integration;
Help Desk;
Corrective, preventive and evolutive maintenance.
Among others, REALAIZ participates in the design and development of the esthesis IoT platform, where it designs various vertical modules using a wide range of sensors.
In addition REALAIZ undertook numerous missions in the field of the integration of IT systems in complex ecosystems, addressing a wide range of elements such as security, robustness, etc. A typical example is work undertaken in the context of the deployment of the Patent management platform for the IP Organisations of the three BENELUX countries.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Realaiz will contribute in Task 4.5 Integrated Platform and Cyber-Security.

European University Institute

Italy

The European University Institute (EUI) (www.eui.eu) is a doctoral and postdoctoral academic institution, created in 1972 by the Member States of the founding European Communities. Its main objective is to provide advanced academic training to Ph.D. students and to promote research at the highest level. It carries out research in a European perspective (fundamental research, comparative research and Community research) in the fields of history, law, economics, political and social science.

Within the EUI, the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) is devoted to inter-disciplinary and comparative research and to promote work on major issues facing the process of integration and European society. Its main objectives are to produce research of the highest intellectual quality; to collaborate with other centres of research excellence; to provide opportunities for young scholars working in its key fields; and to promote dialogue with the world of practice. The research agenda is organised by a set of core themes and is continuously evolving, reflecting the changing agenda of European integration and the expanding membership of the European Union.

The Florence School of Regulation was created in 2004 in cooperation with the European Council of Energy Regulators (CEER) and the European Commission. Subsequently, the Loyola de Palacio Chair in European Energy Policy was created in 2008 to respond to the growing importance of energy in the EU policy agenda. Both programs are supported by an important network of European energy companies, aware of the top-quality and independent debate facilitated by the EUI. Today, FSR is a leader in producing analytical and empirical research in the field of regulation and provides a European forum where academics and practitioners meet and share their views and knowledge. In the last couple of years, FSR has devoted significant attention to the topic of Network Codes for electricity and to the Clean Energy Package. An online training with more than 140 participants was organised in Fall 2017 to provide professional training and a forum for discussion on the Network Codes in collaboration with ENTSO-E, ACER, and European Commission. At the end of the course, a technical report of about 100 pages was published, describing the framework and the main elements of the Network Codes. A second edition of the training is expected in Fall 2018. In parallel, FSR is developing an online training on the aspects of the Clean Energy Package most related to electricity markets and their integration at the European level. The training, whose first edition is going to take place in Spring 2018, fill resemble the course on Network Codes in terms of structure and expected outcomes (participation and publication of a technical report).

ROLE IN THE PROJECT
EUI will mainly contribute to the market and regulatory framework analyses, as well as to the design of the market architecture in WP3. It will be responsible for the connection of the project lessons learnt to the upgrade of the Network Codes, whereas through its network and dissemination activities (workshops organization) will contribute to the overall communication of the project’s results. 

Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico

Italy

RSE (Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico) S.p.A. (former ERSE  and CESI RICERCA) is a public company entirely owned by the Italian Government , with the mission of performing public interest R&D programs to address the national energy, environmental and economic goals, both on behalf of the Ministry of the Economic Development and in the context of EU research initiatives. About 350 technicians and researchers – and their main laboratories – carry out strategic research in the electricity and energy sector, with strong emphasis on experimental applications. RSE is recognized in Europe as a Non-profit Research Organisation with a wide and very successful role in integrating the national research programmes with the EU directives and plans: it is currently cooperating in more than 60 international research projects and coordinates as leading partner more than 150 main research centers and companies in the energy field in Europe.

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

RSE is involved in the work package 3 of the project, where it leads task T3.1 (“Services design based on customers’, grids’, market players’ perspective”)


University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest

Romania

University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest is the largest and the oldest technical university in the country and among the most prestigious universities in Romania. At present the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest is formed by 15 different faculties. Our university is a full member in several academic organisations, the main ones being Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER), International Association of Universities (IAU), European University Association (EUA), Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) etc.

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

University POLITECHNICA of Bucharest has long expertise in energy and IT applications, collaborating with Romanian TSO, DSO, and Regulator in various national and EU projects. The R&D and academic personnel of the University will assist in the big data algorithms and the implementation of the demos in Romania cooperating with the aforementioned national energy stakeholders, as well as in the exploitation of the results.


Technical University of Sofia

Bulgaria
The Technical University of Sofia (TUS) (www.tu-sofia.bg) is the leading Bulgarian university in the field of engineering. As total, TUS provides BSc, MS and PhD degrees in 26 subjects in the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, transportation, electronics and automation, computer science and telecommunications, mathematic and robotics, machines building and metal working, industrial management and public administration. For the time being more than 10000 full-time and about 1000 part-time BSc and MSc students, 500 of PhD and about 1000 post-graduates study at TU of Sofia. Over 15500 are the engineers who have graduated and with the knowledge and skills acquired here have contributed to the development of Bulgarian industry and science. In its structure TU Sofia has 15 faculties and 4 separated departments with research staff of more than 1100, of which 63 professors, 436 associated professors and 345 assistant professors. The university offers twining education programs delivered in German, English, and French language with association of foreign university partners and governmental organizations for international cooperation. Further training and interdisciplinary research are also available at the Open Faculty. The TUS has branches and affiliated institutions in several towns in Bulgaria.
 
Over its 70 years of experience TUS proved its competitiveness in the engineering research and training both at national and EU level. It has participated in more than 1 200 international and in numerous national research projects. TU Sofia has strong international recognition and maintains intensive contacts with major European and US universities. It is the founder of the Association for Business Cooperation linking the International Relations departments of the Higher Technical Schools from Central and Eastern Europe and a member of CRE (Conference of the European Universities’ Rectors). The staff has participated in many international scientific organizations, CMEA and UNIDO projects, joint projects under the TEMPUS, COPERNICUS, CEEPUS, HERCULES, COST, FP5, FP6, FP7, Horizon 2020 and ERASMUS programmes with foreign partners from 76 universities in 16 countries. The first contracts for financing research and development were signed in 1962-1963 and the Research and Development Sector (R&DS) was established in 1967. Gradually its activities expanded setting up various research and development laboratories (R&DL). Their number has reached 50 R&D units at times; nowadays they are 48 in all.
 
There are many opportunities for cooperation between the Technical University of Sofia and partner industrial companies in the following main directions: work on joint research projects or establishment of joint labs; joint training of future engineers and providing them with the opportunity to solve real practical problems, assigned by companies, as term projects, diploma projects or PhD research; part-time jobs related to the specific subject they are studying, as well as summer jobs or short-term specialisations; and last, but not least cooperation in providing graduates’ attractive career opportunities. TUS has close contacts and cooperation with governmental energy, economics and environmental authorities, agencies and municipalities, and has national research and distribution of engineering knowledge role for sustainable, safety and environmental friendly development in Bulgaria.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Technical University of Sofia has long expertise in energy and IT applications, collaborating with Bulgarian TSO, DSO and Market Operator in various national and EU projects. The R&D and academic personnel of the University will assist in the big data algorithms and the implementation of the demos in Bulgaria cooperating with the aforementioned national energy stakeholders and the exploitation of the results.

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Hungary

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) was founded in 1782, and is one of the largest higher educational institutions in engineering in Central Europe. The university holds an international reputation for excellence in engineering. The involvement of companies in longer term research projects, the joint planning of appropriate research directions and communicating the latest international scientific technological developments to the industry is also essential.

 
The Group of High Voltage Technology and Equipment of Department of Electric Power Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics is interested in topics of high voltage technology, lightning research and protection, live-line maintenance (LLM) etc. Besides the education at BME, the main activities of the Group of High Voltage Technology and Equipment in the High Voltage Laboratory are related to diagnostic examination, certification, research, development and other electrical industrial work commissioned by industry partners.
 
The Power System and Environment Group are long-time, landscape-shaping partners of local industry, since early stages of electrification through the construction of the 750 kV line up to today’s „Smart” era. Local partners include: TSO, DSOs, Hungarian Energy Agency, power plants (incl. Paks NPP), local companies/factories of multinational companies (GE Hungary, Siemens), railways, energy traders, planning and projecting companies, Hungarian relay protection, substation automation device manufacturer, SCADA system developer, etc.. The Group’s main strengths in power systems topics (network analysis, measurement technology and lab background) and related border areas would place us as ideal candidates for complementing IT related projects in electric energy systems. Staff of the Group includes Life Fellow and Senior Members of IEEE, CIGRE, ITU, VDE, CENELEC.
 
The Group of High Voltage Technology and Equipment has experience in developing diagnostic expert systems and has a patented method for the risk assessment of lightning protection (probability modulated attractive space method, PMAS). Preventive lightning protection is also one of the most important novel development of the Group regarding to risk analysis of non-conventional protective methods. The main goals of the Group of High Voltage Technology and Equipment are the theoretical and practical education of the future high current and insulation technology electrical engineers, the development of high voltage equipment, and the research and improvement of new methods, which can be used in high voltage technology. High Voltage Laboratory has numerous co-operations with TSOs, DSOs and industrial partners.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
BME will contribute in the Demo area “Peer-to-peer trading” especially in “Asset-enabled local markets” to formulate the marketplace and to adapt market mechanisms, to develop the Integrated asset condition management system (IACMS) and to specify demonstration scenarios.
 
BME will also be involved in the Demo Area “Pan-EU clearing market”, especially in “Spatial Aggregation of Local Flexibility” to formulate the introduction of spatial dimension into wholesale markets, to develop a holistic mathematical formulation for optimal market outcomes and to specify demonstration scenarios.
 

 


Loyola University Andalusia

Spain
The Loyola University Andalusia (LUA, Universidad Loyola Andalucía in Spanish) is a young university with two campuses sited in Seville and Cordoba, Spain. Despite the fact that LOY was formally founded in 2011, it stems from the School of Economics and Business Sciences, which dates from 1963. A depository of the best Jesuit educational tradition, the LUA is a Research University with excellent education and research levels in the fields of technologies and social sciences, which has fostered the implementation of more than 20 programs covering bachelor, master, and PhD degrees. The Jesuit identity integrates LUA within a network of over 230 educational and research institutions, all over the world, with an unequivocal trajectory and prestige.
The LOY combines several departments to conduct cutting-edge multidisciplinary research projects in the fields of modern power systems, energy storage, computational intelligence and market economy. Actively engaged in research, the LUA currently works in 9 international research projects and in 16 national research projects. In the area of power systems, the Department of Engineering counts on a strong background in the analysis and control of distributed power systems, virtual power plants integrating energy storage, multi-terminal HVDC, and advanced controllers for complex systems. Moreover, there is a division dedicated to conduct basic research on innovative energy storage technologies. In the area of computational intelligence, the Department of Quantitative Methods is specialized on big-data analytics, predictive models, intelligent computing and artificial intelligence. The Department of Economy from its part has a solid experience in markets, accounting regulations, natural resources and regional economy, and rural development.  
The multidisciplinary personality of the LOY’s research team fits well the highly challenging requirements of the INTERRFACE project, providing a multidisciplinary team with front-line capacities for contributing in the analysis and control of modern power systems; optimization, monitoring and control of distributed systems; market, demand, resource, and grid short-term and long-term forecasting for predictive control; intelligent computing and artificial intelligence for energy management in distributed power systems; big-data analysis and statistical and economic models of distribution and transmission systems; electrical markets analysis and regulatory policies.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
LOY will be the leader of a demonstration project in the Bulgarian electricity network and will provide effort in the analysis assessment and big data algorithms formulation.

Università Politecnica delle Marche

Italy
The Università Politecnica delle Marche was founded in 1969 and it is located in Ancona, along the central Adriatic coast on an elbow-shaped promontory (its name in fact derives from the Greek word “Ankon” meaning elbow). Ancona boasts one of Italy’s most important ports. The Università Politecnica delle Marche plays a key role in the region for training both Italian and foreign students. At the moment there are about 17,000 students, 545 professors and researchers, and 565 members of technical and administrative staff working on the different campuses. There former five Faculties are situated on three main campuses and are now divided in 12 Departments: 1. Construction, Civil Engineering and Architecture; 2.Information Engineering, DII; 3.Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, DIISM; 4.Management; 5.Experimental and Clinical Medicine; 6.Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences - D3A; 7.Biomedical Sciences and Public Health; 8.Molecular and Clinical Sciences – DISCLIMO; 9.Odontostomatologic and Specialized Clinical Sciences; 10.Life and Environmental Sciences - Di.S.V.A.; 11.Economics and Social Sciences; 12.Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning- SIMAU. UNIVPM has an important role within UNIADRION, the "Network of Universities" established with the purpose to create a permanent connection among Universities and Research centres from the Adriatic-Ionian Region. In particular, UNIVPM hosts the UniAdrion Secretariat (http://www.uniadrion.net). To date, after more than three years of H2020 (Programming 2014-2020), we have more than 30 EU funded projects (between H2020, Cost, JPI, ERA-NET, DG and EU agencies, Erasmus +) for a total of around 9.5 million Euro. The main departments involved in the project are the Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (DIISM) and the Department of Information Engineering (DII). The main activities are: research, didactics, professional consulting for public and private subjects.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
UNIVPM will be the coordinator of the Italian demo site in Osimo. Moreover, it will lead task 5.1, participation to Task 4.2 and 5.4 and finally will also contribute in WP9.

RWTH Aachen University IAEW

Germany
Institute and chair of Power Systems and Power Economics (IAEW) are part of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of RWTH Aachen University. Under direction of Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. A. Moser the focus of research, doctrine and industrial projects lies on the mathematical simulation, the technical and economical optimization as well as evaluation of the expansion and operation of power systems. Thereby special emphasis is placed on the markets and the generation as well as on the transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Due to many years of experience as a research institute in the field of market-, power grid- as well as system analysis, IAEW possess detailed knowledge regarding the evaluation of market design, behavior of market actors, grid expansion projects, power flow calculations and forecast errors of renewable energies as well as the objective interpretation of results.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT 
Aachen University will be the leader of WP3 - Services and Market Design - INTERRFACE Architecture and will also lead Task 3.2 - Market design, coordination schemes and markets. Moreover, Aachen will contribute to the dissemination, exploitation and communication activities of the project. 

Rigas Tehniska Universitate

Latvia

Riga Technical University is the largest technological university and the leading multidisciplinary research institution in the Baltic states. The priority areas for research set by RTU are: Energy & Environment; Cities & Development; Transport; Materials, Processes & Technologies; Information & Communication; Security & Defense. The Institute of Power Engineering is a part of the Faculty of Power and Electrical Engineering, conducting both fundamental and applied research in Power Engineering. The total staff of the Institute is about 50 people. The Institute is the main research institution working on power systems in Latvia. It has strong collaboration with local energy sector players, e.g., Latvenergo AS – the largest electricity producer and trader in Latvia, Sadales tīkls AS – distribution system operator, and AS “Augstsprieguma tikls” – the transmission system operator. 

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

Within the INTERRFACE project, RTU will use its expertise in power systems modelling (incl. transmission, distribution and generation assets, large-scale and small-scale energy storage, demand-side resources) and experience in assessment of generation and demand-side flexibility to contribute in designing the Single Flexibility Platform (WP5), investigate the prospective use-cases and market design requirements, and perform a socio-economic analysis before deployment of the platform. Given the extensive experience RTU has had with both the Latvian TSO and the largest Latvian DSO, RTU will also contribute to the deployment and demonstration of the Single Flexibility Platform.


Tampere University

Finland
Tampere University of Technology (TUT) conducts scientific research in technology and architecture and provides the highest education within these fields. Since 2010 it has operated in the form of a foundation. At TUT, there are about 10,000 under- and post-graduate students, incl. 1300 international students, and over 160 professors. TUT with a total annual income of 167 M€ is with a research intensive university, pioneer in technology transfer and an acknowledged cooperation partner among the scientific community and business life. In 2013, TUT obtained 73% of its total research expenses, 73 M€, as external funding. TUT has a 50 year track-record in collaborative research with the industry. At TUT the share of company funding for research is twice than the average at other Finnish universities. Since nearly 30 years TUT is shareholder of a company specialized in technology transfer and open innovation promotion. TUT co-funds the TUTLI programme offering flexible and fast environment for evaluating and developing research results into business. TUT’s Research Services supports research groups with legal, financial and administrative issues in EU projects.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Developed concepts and management mechanisms will be simulated prior to demonstrations by hardware and software-in-the-loop real-time digital simulation environment consisting of RTDS (power system simulator), distribution automation devices and systems, and communication emulator. Smart grid laboratory is a unique combination of real-time testing capabilities with commercial and research products. In this way the demonstration in field may be started very smoothly and demonstration period is used very efficiently.

Also the technology concept, platform and functionalities for real-time distribution grid congestion management developed within IDE4L project are available for further development. TUT’s role is to define and develop active network management concept and solutions for integrated flexibility service market mainly from DSO’s viewpoint. Development of technical solutions and validation mechanisms for grid management by utilizing flexibility service products of flexibility market would be the key topic for TUT. TUT will participate in demonstrations with its smart grid laboratory in cooperation with other partners in the demonstration.


Elering AS

Estonia
Elering AS is a transmission system operator whose main task is to ensure the sustainable functioning of security of electricity and gas supply as vital services. Elering maintains and develops national transmission network and external connections. Elering operates the Estonian electricity and gas systems in real time, ensuring the functioning of the transmission network as well as a balancing the system. To this end, fast and competent decisions are continuously required in order to ensure the stable functioning of the energy system.
To ensure long-term security of supply and energy security, we are working towards joining the energy markets currently partly still isolated from Europe with the rest of Europe. To this end Elering’s priorities include desynchronizing the Estonian electricity system from the Russian one and accordingly developing further current regional balancing market as well as creating new reserve markets. In this goal, the involvement of the flexibility resources from TSO and DSO level plays the key role for increasing the liquidity of current balancing market, as well as introducing new reserve products and system services to the markets.
The central background for our operations is an open electricity market. We are aware of our responsibility for ensuring the functioning of the electricity market and ensure equal treatment of all electricity market participants. Whereas efficient regional Nordic-Baltic electricity wholesale market is there, our next goal is contributing to development of retail market and customer engagement. To serve this Elering has started to establish a data exchange platform called Estfeed.
In accordance with the vision of Elering, we look for and develop new business lines for making the Estonian energy sector more innovative and competitive through development of a competence center. The competence center encompasses active participation in research and development projects, promotion of energy education and raising of general awareness of energy-related key issues.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Elering will be leading the development of demonstration tool “Single Flexibility platform” in work package 5. This will include mainly defining the use cases for flexibility and developing the market framework suitable for the whole Baltic-Finnish region. Elering will be coordinating the work and contributing the tasks between TSOs and DSOs as well as technical developers and universities who are part of this demonstration group.   When market design for use cases is developed the platform architecture and prototype will be done. Elering will coordinate the platform technical development, although development itself will be mainly done by a software and development company.
The developed use cases and market framework will be tested and demonstrated in the platform in the real market and Elering will take part of this demonstration in various use cases.
Elering will also contribute to other WPs work in order to develop market and a roadmap for flexibility services for the whole Europe and contribute to development of common pan-European architecture.  This project is well in line with Elering’s strategy which places market development, data management and customer involvement high in its agenda. 
 

 


AS "Augstsprieguma tīkls"

Latvia
AS "Augstsprieguma tīkls" is an independent Transmission System Operator, which operates the electric power transmission network and ensures security of electric power supply in Latvia. AST missions is providing power transmission services based on the published transmission service tariffs and providing free third-party access to the transmission network. Responsibilities of AST include:
 
  • Development of transmission network and secure interconnection with neighboring power systems;
  • Operational control of power flows in the transmission network, ensuring exchanges of power with neighboring power systems;
  • Operational control of the power generation equipment connected to the transmission network;
  • Supplying distribution network with energy in required amounts and according to the power quality requirements;
  • Ensuring power supply security and stability of the transmission system;
  • Provision of non-discriminating conditions on the transmission system usage for all transmission system users;
  • Control procedures ensuring coordinated operation of power system;
  • Provision of the information on the web-site, according to legislative requirements of EU.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
The Baltic countries have a long history of close regional cooperation on TSO level. The continuous system/ market integration is one of the key objectives within Baltic TSO cooperation. One notable achievement is common Baltic balancing market, which has started the operation on 1st of January 2017. Currently Baltic countries are working towards full integration of system flexibility services in Baltic electricity markets. Development of flexibly service markets in the Baltics are especially important due to upcoming desynchronization from the Unified power system of Russia.
Given the small size of national markets it is expected that cross-border exchange of these services would not only benefit system security, but would accelerate the flexibility service market development and benefit all market participants. Baltic TSOs see developing a common platform for flexibility service exchange as an opportunity to further strengthen the ties between the Baltic energy markets.
 

 


Fingrid

Finland
Fingrid is Finland’s transmission system operator. Fingrid secures reliable electricity for its customers and society and shapes the clean, market-oriented power system of the future. Fingrid’s vision is to be a forerunner in transmission system operation. 
Fingrid Oyj is the Transmission System Operator in Finland, which owns and operates the main transmission grid (400 kV-110 kV). Fingrid runs the balancing and reserves market and procures other ancillary services for the power system to keep the balance between consumption and production in real time. Fingrid is responsible for the final imbalance settlement in Finland. Fingrid develops the Finnish retail market by building a national datahub which makes the market more efficient and facilitates creation of new services to the end customers.
Fingrid is one of the key players as regards market development in Finland. Fingrid actively develops balancing and reserve market rules towards more flexible, transparent and efficient functioning of the markets and hence the power system. Fingrid has long history of promoting demand response and using distributed resources from the DSO level. Fingrid’s way of working is to have a continuous open dialogue with the stakeholders.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Fingrid will participate in development of the demonstration tool by defining the use cases for flexibility and their related market rules and procedures. Fingrid will participate in the demonstration of the various use cases.

Bulgarian Electricity System Operator EAD

Bulgaria

The Electricity System Operator EAD (“ESO”) was established on 4 April 2007 as a subsidiary of the National Electricity Company (“NEK”). On 4 February 2014, the unbundling of ESO from NEK went through its last stage in line with the Third Liberalization Package. This has been the final step needed to reach compliance with Directive 2009/72/EC and the national legislative provisions.  ESO is responsible for the common operational planning, coordination and control of the Bulgarian power system and its parallel synchronous operation with neighbouring systems. Its purviews also include transmission grid operation, maintenance and reliable functioning, auxiliary network servicing, as well as maintenance and repair services in the energy sector. It also manages the power transit through the national grid and runs the electricity market.

In performing parallel synchronous operation with ENTSO-E, ESO, being a key partner in the Balkan region, constantly strives to achieve higher transmission efficiency and asset management performance by introducing and using the newest methods of planning, maintenance, monitoring and control. The company has deployed an asset management system (SAP/R3), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System and Energy Management System (SCADA/EMS), and Geographic Information System (GIS).

"Elektroenergien Sistemen Operator"/"Electricity System Operator" EAD is certified as an Independent Transmission Operator (ITO).

 

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

ESO is the TSO company in Bulgaria and will provide customers perspective for the system design architecture. It will also contribute with data and demo integration with the Bulgarian transmission grid.


Compania Națională de Transport al Energiei Electrice TRANSELECTRICA SA

Romania
Transelectrica is the Romanian Transmission and System Operator (TSO), which plays a key role in the Romanian electricity market. We manage and operate the electricity transmission system and provide the electricity exchanges between the central and eastern European countries, as an ENTSO-E member (European Network of Transmission and System Operators for Electricity). Transelectrica is responsible for electricity transmission, system and market operation, grid and market infrastructure development ensuring the security of the Romanian power system. It also serves as the main link between electricity supply and demand, matching all the times power generation with demand.
Transelectrica is the only operator providing the services of electricity transmission, operational technical management of the Romanian Power System and electricity market administration (by means of its legal personality subsidiary OPCOM SA).
Transelectrica carries out these activities under the license that ANRE has granted it, charging regulated tariffs that allow a non-discriminating and fair access of all market participants to the electricity transmission grid, with no additional revenues from other activities.
Transelectrica's task is to keep the Romanian Power System operating uninterruptedly under safe conditions while observing the quality standards provided in the Grid technical code. To this effect the Company uses its own resources called functional system services and purchases technological system services from the electricity generators.
Transelectrica purchases the technological system (ancillary) services from the electricity generating companies under a procedure regulated by ANRE.  In practice, Transelectrica reinvoices the entire amount of system services purchased from producers (except for the active energy component covering the grid losses) to the ANRE-licensed electricity suppliers that benefit of such services in the end.
Transelectrica is actively involved in the complex process of implementing European regulations (Network Codes) at pan-European, regional and national levels.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
It is the TSO company in Romania and will provide operator’s perspective for the system design architecture. It will also contribute with data and demo integration with the Romanian transmission grid.

ELES DOO SISTEMSKI OPERATER PRENOSNEGA ELEKTROENERGETSKEGA OMREZJA (ELES)

Slovenia
ELES is an integral part of the Slovenian electrical power industry. The company’s headquarters are located in Hajdrihova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, and other 14 business units are located all across Slovenia. As the system operator of the Slovenia’s transmission network, ELES preserves the balance between generated and consumed power, 24 hours per day, year in, year out. Ensuring that electricity is continually on hand to all is an onerous task, which the company performs admirably. Established and owned by the state and upholding the standards of a contemporarily organized enterprise, ELES, with its 530 employees and state-of-the-art technology, stands side-by-side with Europe’s most advanced transmission system operators. ELES endeavors to plan, construct and maintain Slovenia’s transmission network strategically, responsibly and sustainably. However, by managing the entire Slovenian Transmission network, ELES ensures the safe, reliable and continuous transmission of electrical power. As system operator of the transmission network, all of the company’s mandated and regulated public service activities are financed from grid fees. ELES is aware that its system, when necessary, encroaches upon the environment and life; ELES however, such is achieved prudently following the principles of sustainable development of social and natural milleu. Hence, the company establishes the bonds of mutual trust carefully, balancing its respects for the natural environment and social responsibility with its actions in accordance with applicable law. 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT 

ELES will contribute in the Demo area “Peer-to-peer trading”, especially in “Asset-enabled local markets” to provide data for the IACMS, to participate in the testing of transactions, to specify demonstration scenarios and to analyze results.

ELES will also be involved in the Demo Area “Pan-EU clearing market”, especially in the “Spatial Aggregation of Local Flexibility” to provide an interpreted flexibility product definition and provide data for confirmation and make the method testable. Demo specification is a task for ELES and the result analysis will bring high added value.

 


REN - REDE ELECTRICA NACIONAL S.A.

Portugal
REN – Rede Eléctrica Nacional, SA, mission is to guarantee the continuous supply of electricity at the lowest cost while satisfying all quality and safety criteria, maintaining the balance between supply and demand in real time, defending the legitimate interests of market agents and reconciling its roles as a system operator and network operator. As concessionaire of the national electricity transmission grid, REN - Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A. holds the mission of the following main activities:
technical and overall management of the national electricity system;
transmission of electricity at very-high voltage (400, 220 and 150kV);
operation of the national electricity transmission grid and the construction, maintenance and  planning of its infrastructures.
REN is member of CIGRÉ (Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques). 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
REN, based on its great experience, will contribute WP2 and the user needs task. It will lead the survey on existing tools and applications, whereas will contribute to WP9 for the stakeholder management and involvement to the project.

E-REDES

Portugal
E-REDES - Distribuição de Eletricidade, S.A. is part of EDP Group and Portugal’s incumbent DSO (accounting for 97% of the market with more than 6 million customers). E-REDES coordinates EEGI Core Project InovGrid, which entails a large scale smart grid demonstration impacting more than 500 thousand consumers. Leveraging on its Smart Grid infrastructure and its innovating strategy during the last decade, the company has increased its participation on European Projects, having participated in more than 20 projects, which led to the establishment of partnerships with more than 150 entities (universities, industrial partners, research institutes, utilities, local authorities,…) from 21 different countries. Furthermore, this portfolio of partnerships is complemented by a strong representation of EDP group in several associations of the sector in Europe.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
E-REDES, will lead WP2 and the user needs task. It will contribute to the survey on existing tools and applications, whereas will contribute to WP9 for the stakeholder management and involvement to the project.

CEZ Distribution Bulgaria AD

Bulgaria
CEZ Distribution Bulgaria AD is a joint-stock company, 67% of which are owned by CEZ, a.s., Czech Republic, and 33% by other minority shareholders - legal entities and individuals. The corporate headquarters are in Sofia, 159 Tsarigradsko shose blvd. CEZ Distribution Bulgaria AD has over a century of experience in the field of electricity supply and distribution. In 2005 CEZ a.s. acquired three power distribution companies in Western Bulgaria - Electricity Distribution Stolichno AD, Electricity Distribution Sofia Oblast AD and Electricity Distribution Pleven AD. In November 2007 with a decision of Sofia City Court CEZ merged the three companies. The restructuring was aimed at optimizing the activity of the company, improving its management and thus achieving higher efficiency. This was planned to result in higher quality of customer service in all West Bulgaria and in the introduction of consistent policy for the electricity network maintenance and development.
 
On January 29, 2008, with a decision of Sofia City Court, the company was renamed to CEZ Distribution Bulgaria AD.
 
The company has been granted a license, issued by the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) for a period of 30 years. Until 2007 the company also had another license – for public electricity supply. As of January 03, 2007 pursuant to the specified in the Energy Act, the activities related to electricity distribution and operation of the distribution networks and the activities related to electricity supply and other EDC activities were legally and organizationally unbundled. The electricity supply was transferred to a newly-established company CEZ Electro Bulgaria AD.
 
The company operates in West Bulgaria and covers an area of 40 000 sq. km. The area operated by CEZ Distribution Bulgaria has 2 930 000 residents.
 
Scope of activity:
 
- Operation and management of the electricity distribution network, consisting of MV, LV and HV electricity power lines and electricity systems, which is used for transmission and distribution of electric power in order to supply electricity to supplier companies;
 
- Electricity distribution on the territory of the districts Sofia-city, Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pernik, Pleven, Lovech, Vratsa, Montana, Vidin.
 
- Construction of new electricity distribution and metering systems and maintenance of the operated facilities and equipment.
 
- The company executes its activity in line with the energy legislation and the related legal provisions.
 
Quality management: Certificate EN ISO 9001:2008
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
It is the DSO company in Bulgaria and will provide customers perspective for the system design architecture. It will also contribute with data and demo integration with the Bulgarian distribution grid.

 


Distributie Energie Oltenia SA

Romania
Distributie Energie Oltenia (Romania) SA is a joint-stock company, 99,99999861% of which are owned by CEZ, a.s., Czech Republic, and 0,00000139% by other minority shareholders - legal entities and individuals (CPD – CEZ Poland Distribution). The corporate headquarters are in Craiova, 97 Calea Severinului. CEZ Group is present in Romania starting with September 2005. Since the acquisitions of 51% of Electrica Oltenia (one of the 8 traditional distribution companies). The company has distribution license for 7 counties: Dj, Ag, Tr, Gj, Mh, Vl, and Olt. The restructuring was aimed at optimizing the activity of the company, improving its management and thus achieving higher efficiency. This was planned to result in higher quality of customer service in all South Romania and in the introduction of consistent policy for the electricity network maintenance and development. DEO - created further to the unbundling process (March 2007).
On January 01, 2017, with a decision of ANRE, the company was renamed to Distributie Energie Oltenia SA.
June 2010 - according to the legislation in force, CEZ D shareholders changed by cession of one share from CEZ a.s. to CEZ Poland Distribution.
April 2011 - CEZ Distributie becomes a two-tier company.
Starting 2005, DISTRIBUTIE ENERGIE OLTENIA, a dynamic company, implements added value initiatives every year:
2009: Completion of Progress IV project; Unique shareholder: CEZ buy the rest of CEZ Distributie shares from Electrica; Metering Small Clients Externalization;
2010: Launch distribution efficiency improvement program (DEEP); Site supervision externalization;
2011: Concentrate efforts on energy losses reduction (launch losses & NTL projects); Externalization of minor maintenance;
2012: Launch Distributie optimization program; Losses reduction program
2013: Lifecycle process revision; Losses reduction program; Implementation of losses concept;
2014: Improvement in losses reduction; Metering Big Clients Externalization; Implementation of new Assets Management concept
2015: Start Smart transformation; Increase/ decrease DEO capital; NOM Standardization;
2016-2017: Ongoing Smart transformation; NTL internalization; Fair Regulation; Regulatory strategy update; Distribution activities sourcing
The company operates in South Romania and covers an area of 29 500 sq. km. The area operated by Distributie Energie Oltenia SA has 1 428 850 residents.
Scope of activity:
- Operation and management of the electricity distribution network, consisting of MV, LV and HV electricity power lines and electricity systems, which is used for transmission and distribution of electric power in order to supply electricity to supplier companies;
- Construction of new electricity distribution and metering systems and maintenance of the operated facilities and equipment.
- The company executes its activity in line with the energy legislation and the related legal provisions.
Quality management: Certificate EN ISO 9001:2008
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
DEO is the DSO company in Romania and will provide operator’s perspective for the system design architecture. It will also contribute with data and demo integration with the Bulgarian distribution grid.

Elektro Ljubljana

Slovenia
Elektro Ljubljana is the largest power distribution company in Slovenia. It covers the main part of Slovenia, including Ljubljana, the country’s capital city. Elektro Ljubljana’s grid covers a third of Slovenia, i.e. 6,166 sq. km. Over 36 % of the population relies on the supply of the power provided by the Company; hence it supplies electricity to over 326,000 customers. The Company is also responsible for the development, maintenance and management of the grid and it employs almost 1,000 employees. 
Presenting the grid in figures, the Company oversees 16,390 kilometres of underground cables and overhead lines as well as 5,183 substations. Ljubljana, the capital city, relies almost exclusively on the underground network and covers an area of 149 sq. km while the cables stretch on over 2,697 km. The Company boasts with the following certificates: ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System), ISO 27001 (Data Protection Management System) and OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health & Safety Management System), which attests company’s dedication towards quality-orientated organization and policy. The Company’s mission is a complete supply of electricity to consumers and performance of ancillary services. 
Moreover, the Company’s vision is to become the leading supply company in the field of energy in Slovenia. The Company achieves its vision through active investments and marketing policy, redesign of local energy concepts in the areas of electricity, gas and heat production and distribution, and through the introduction of new products pertaining to the sales of energy products and services.
Elektro Ljubljana, d.d. performs network (i.e. statutory) activity and commercial services related to the electricity infrastructure. Elektro Ljubljana owns the electricity infrastructure which was leased out to the company SODO d.o.o. on 1st July 2007, for which Elektro Ljubljana performs various services pursuant to the Contract on the Lease of Electricity Distribution Infrastructure: 
  • maintenance of the electricity infrastructure and organisation of duty service, 
  • management and operation of the electricity distribution system, 
  • development, planning and investment in the electricity infrastructure, 
  • preparation and management of investments, 
  • monitoring and determining the quality of supply, • performing electricity metering, 
  • rendering of distribution network access services and other consumer services, 
  • provision of other services for the purposes of SODO.
Besides this, Elektro Ljubljana, d.d. is a manager and the owner of smart recharging stations.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT

ELJ will be the leader of Task 6.1 and will contribute in the Demo area “Peer-to-peer trading”, especially in “Asset-enabled local markets” to formulate household scale markets and microgrids, to provide locations for the demo and data for the IACMS and to specify demonstration scenarios.

ELJ will also be involved in the Demo Area “Pan-EU clearing market”, especially in “Spatial Aggregation of Local Flexibility” to define flexibility products, to provide data on the spatial distribution, production and usage of technological flexibility, to specify demonstration scenarios and to be able to revise the new market framework’s efficiency.

 


Elektrilevi OÜ

Estonia
Elektrilevi supplies electricity to almost all households and companies in Estonia. Our role as a network operator is to ensure the constant supply of electricity to our customers. We maintain and repair almost 61,000 kilometers of power lines and more than 22,000 substations.
Elektrilevi has almost 475,000 customers across Estonia. Our network area does not include Lääne county, Viimsi or Narva and its surrounding areas, where electricity is supplied by other network operators.
Network operators manage electricity distribution networks of up to 110 kV, transferring electricity from the transmission system to the consumer.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Elektrilevi will give an input to the project from the DSO point of view and know-how. More specifically, Elektrilevi will contribute to Task 5.3 for the design, deployment and evaluation of the Single Flexibility Platform Demo.

Elenia Oy

Finland

The Elenia Group consists of the electricity distribution company Elenia Oy as the parent company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Elenia Lämpö Oy, Elenia Palvelut Oy and Elenia Finance Oyj. Elenia Oy is the second largest distribution system operator in Finland with 420 000 customers and 68 900 km of distribution network. Elenia ensures a smart and weatherproof network for their customers. Elenia’s vision is to be service and weatherproof network forerunner in the electricity distribution business.

 

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

Elenia aims to demonstrate capabilities to make available and utilize flexible resources on the distribution grid and to demonstrate processes that allow for procurement of flexibility from various resources to cover needs for flexibility in network management. Elenia enables flexible resources to be connected to the grid, to have control capabilities and to have neutral access to all available market mechanisms. Elenia acts as a neutral grid party in enabling its customers to exchange energies over multiple market mechanisms locally, on the grid level and across grids in providing capabilities for system balancing. Elenia works in close collaboration with Empower IM in building the demonstrator and Fingrid in enabling system wide flexibility utilization.

 


E.ON Hungary

Hungary

The company's main tasks include system operation, network development and maintenance, regional customer relations management, as well as tasks in regard to metering and monitoring consumption.

E.ON Dél-dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt. is a subsidiary of E.ON SE. E.ON SE announced that the part of its mission is to facilitate the renewable energy resources and carbon dioxide reduction which means for a DSO within the company group to facilitate the Smart grid development, the interconnection technology of renewables, the smart home/building and the grid. Among of such kind of technologies can be found the energy storage system interconnection with the grid, usage of advanced technology in the Demand Side Management and its interconnection with network optimal operation. One important part of Smart grid technology is the interconnection and interface of grid and consumer and the technology which is capable of the co-optimization of the energy community including the grid.

 

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

Provision of the household scale market information and of a demo area for testing in Hungary.


Nemzeti Közművek Hálózat

Hungary
NKM Nemzeti Közművek Ltd (“Nemzeti Közművek” or the “Company”) had been established as the national utility service provider to contribute, by defending national interests, to the Hungarian Government’s utility cost reduction program in a long term and to maintain utility fees at a reasonable level for Hungarian consumers.
The main task of Nemzeti Közművek is to ensure and control a consistent and centralised national system of public utilities and to establish and maintain a sustainable operation of the public utilities such as natural gas, electricity and district heating. The Company’s further aims are driven by its corporate responsibility, e.g. increasing security in domestic supply and to provide customer service simpler, faster and accessible. 
The fundamental basis of the national public utility service model is to carry out activities on the basis of comprehensive community criteria and in line with the Hungarian Government’s social policy. The system can simultaneously represent and enforce the market based activity and a non-profit principle, as income realised from activities would be recontributed into the system to enhance services by making consumers’ interest a top priority. 
Nemzeti Közművek provides unified management for such national utility system. Licensed activities, such as gas trading or gas distribution are performed by state owned companies where control is carried out by the Company. Nemzeti Közművek is not a public utility service provider and has no direct contact with consumers, but operates as a holding centre, exercising management-rights over the companies participating in the national utility system. 
Nemzeti Közművek is tasked to identify those areas at the companies belonging to the national utility system where cost optimization and synergies could be arranged. The Company shall optimise the size of the systems and ensure cost-efficiency through further acquisitions in the utility sector in the future. The public utility service which already operates 300 customer service offices countrywide, shall become faster than before, because by combining the various pillars of the national utility system consumers can deal with their gas, electricity and district heating related issues at one place in the near future.
Nemzeti Közművek is a state owned company where ownership rights are exercised by the Government Commissioner of State for National Financial Services and Postal Affairs. In 2015 and 2016 Nemzeti Közművek has been building the gas pillar of the national utility system by gaining control over Főgáz Ltd and GDF Suez retail gas company, GSEM Ltd. and took over more than 1,8 consumers from E.ON Energy Services Ltd. and Tigáz Ltd., resulting 3,4 million natural gas consumers in Hungary serviced by the national utility service provider. 
At the end of 2016, Nemzeti Közművek started to build the second pillar of the system by signing the contract of purchasing DÉMÁSZ and DÉMÁSZ Hálózati Elosztó Ltd. from EDF International. The third pillar of the national utility system and so of Nemzeti Közművek will be district heating.
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
The multi-level layer market framework needs different level of involvement. The experience of several DSOs are needed to allow comparisons and to obtain multi market data. NKM can bring such a market player group into the demo, which can reach quite high penetration of household scale renewable generation. Through this group, NKM will provide the household scale market information as well as a demo area for testing. The analysed data can be used for formulating recommendations for the future operation.

Energy Agency AGEN-RS

Slovenia
The Energy Agency - Agencija za energijo (AGEN-RS) has been the Slovenian regulatory authority for the energy market since 2001. The new Energy Act, adopted in 2014, brought greater independence, more powers, a new organization, and operation rules for AGEN-RS. AGEN-RS monitors, directs and supervises the energy services providers in the area of electricity and gas, and performs the regulatory tasks related to supply of heat and other energy gases. It is a legal person under public law, independent in carrying out its tasks. 
AGEN-RS establishes conditions that encourage regulated companies to improve performance and investments. It supervises and monitors the implementation of regulated activities by determining the right balance between the quality of supply and prices for regulated services and promotes the efficient and sustainable use of existing infrastructure. It ensures the transparency and openness of the regulatory process. It cooperates in the preparation and amending of the rules and general acts regulating market operation, and promotes transparency and non-discrimination.
AGEN-RS is continuously improving the regulation of the energy market in accordance with the best professional practice. It participates in the creation of the internal energy market at a regional level.
The tasks of AGEN-RS can be summarized in the following areas:
regulation of the network activities, which covers economic regulation of all electricity and gas system operators and the regulation of the network with respect to issuing consents to the general acts,
regulation of the supply of heat and other energy gases,
ensuring a reliable supply of natural gas,
promoting the production of electricity from renewable sources and cogeneration,
promoting efficient use of energy,
monitoring of electricity and natural gas market,
supervising the providers of energy operators' activities,
protecting the rights of consumers.
 
International activities of AGEN-RS mainly include active and direct participation in cooperation with European regulators, Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), Council of the European Energy Regulators (CEER), European Commission in order to develop a coherent regulatory framework for cross-border trade, competition, and investments as well as in matters related to the development of the internal energy market, projects of common interest (PCI) and methodologies concerned and evaluation of these investments, and with the certification of the system operator;
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
AGEN-RS main role will be to contribute to the analysis of the market design of the energy system and the definition of the market perspective that will lead to the design of new services to enhance the envisioned TSO-DSO-customer cooperation. Besides, AGEN-RS will monitor different activities, contribute with consultancy and will be joining the scheduled consortium meetings.
 

 


ASTEA S.P.A.

Italy
Astea is a local utility with a majority public shareholding, which operates in the main following public sectors:
 
  • Distribution of natural gas (28,585 final users; Distributed natural gas: 51,592,684.00 smc)
  • Distribution of water (56,906 final Users ; 7,478,846 m3 of distributed water)
  • District Heating (1,256.00 final users;19,737 MWh of thermal Energy- 4,749 MWh of electric Power)
  • Power Plants management (2,221.00 MWh from Hydro Power Plant ; 363.00 MWh from Photovoltaic Power Plants)
  • 2016 Business Volume: € 38,000,000.00
 
ASTEA, through its subsidiary DEA (DSO), also manages the electricity distribution service in the municipalities of Osimo (AN) and Recanati (MC) on the basis of the concession granted by the former Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Crafts in compliance with the provisions of Legislative Decree n. 79 of 1999 (Bersani Decree).
 
The distribution service includes:
 
- the service of connection to the network: that is the connection of the electrical systems of the customers (consumers and producers) to the network;
 
- the transport of the power taken or produced on the network.
 
The electricity distribution network consists of:
 
- high and medium voltage transformation stations or points of interconnection of the network with high and medium voltage networks managed by Enel Distribuzione, an Enel group company;
 
- medium voltage networks or networks with voltage over 1 kV and up to 35 kV;
 
- medium to low voltage transformation stations or points of interconnection between medium and low voltage networks;
 
- low voltage networks or networks with voltage up to 1 kV. In order to access the distribution service, the final consumer customers or wholesalers (on the mandate of the end customers themselves) must sign a contract for the distribution service in accordance with current legislation.
 
The economic conditions of the service are regulated by the Authority for Electricity, Gas and the Water System (AEEGSI).
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
ASTEA will act as a large consumer in the Italian demo; moreover, through its linked party DEA, will also act as the DSO in the Osimo municipal microgrid in the Italian demo site.
 

MYTILINEOS SA.

Greece

MYTILINEOS SA is one of the leading industrial companies in Greece, with activities in Metallurgy, EPC, Electric Power and Gas Trading. MYTILINEOS expanded its activities to the Electric Power sector in 2001 and during the last ten years, the Company has been established as the dominant independent energy producer in Greece, by carrying out a €1 billion investment plan in energy assets and taking on a leading role in the deregulation of the Greek energy market, which opens up significant prospects for Greek businesses and the Greek economy at large. The vision of unlocking the potential of the energy sector in Greece is a priority for MYTILINEOS. The Company has a broad range of vertically integrated operations in the energy sector in place, from the construction and operation of power plants to the trade of natural gas and the supply of electricity and gas to end-consumers.

MYTILINEOS owns and operates an energy portfolio of a total installed capacity of 1300 MW (thermal and RES plants), while it is also active in the electricity and gas supply (through Protergia, the brand name of MYTILINEOS Electric Power Sector), aiming to provide electricity and gas to companies and households and to satisfy the customers’ needs for competitive prices and modern, reliable services.

The energy portfolio of MYTILINEOS consists of:

  • 1.2 GW from 3 modern CCGT plants in operation
  • 130 MW from RES plants in operation
  • Trading license for 310 MW of electricity
  • Supply license for 500 MW of electricity
  • CO2 Emissions Trading Platform
  • Natural Gas Contract Management – Supply

As an electricity producer established through private investments in cutting-edge power plants, MYTILINEOS boasts an in-depth knowledge of the electricity market and is constantly carrying out environmentally friendly investments, helping to bolster employment and the national economy.

 

ROLE IN THE PROJECT

The company is a leading energy supplier in the SEE and will assist in the analysis assessment of customers’ needs. Also it will provide generation, end-customer data and expertise as a major energy market stakeholder in the pan EU market demo as well as contribute to the evaluation of impact


MIG-23 Ltd

Bulgaria
“MIG 23” Ltd is a design, engineering and energy services company based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 2005 by experienced professionals.
 
For more than 10 years now we have been actively pursuing a diverse range of work, from small power supply systems, implementation of energy-saving solutions to complex industrial projects. We practice a research-driven approach that explores emerging technologies to achieve innovative and inventive engineering solutions.
 
Our work focuses on our clients’ challenging ideas by responsive design concepts to reliable results.
 
MIG 23 provides a broad range of energy services solutions including designs and implementation of energy savings projects, retrofitting, and energy conservation. In the previous context, it can help clients put the pieces together:
 
  • Identify and evaluate energy-saving opportunities.
  • Develop engineering designs and specifications.
  • Manage the project from design to installation to monitoring.
  • Arrange for financing.
  • Train client company staff and provide ongoing maintenance services.
Furthermore, MIG 23 can provide specialized energy services analyses such as:
 
  • Real-time integration and visibility of Building Management Systems, metering subsystems, and asset management applications.
  • Automated, real-time analysis and reporting of key performance indicators associated with subsystem operations, energy use, and equipment maintenance management.
  • Recommendations for results-oriented energy usage and maintenance program refinements that will enable energy reduction targets to be met or exceeded.
  • On-going monitoring of subsystems to continually expand energy conservation efforts and maintenance management improvements for further cost reductions.
MIG 24 maintains and uses the following: Quality Management System: Certificate EN ISO 9001:2008; Health & Safety Management System: Certificate OHSAS 18001:2007; Environmental Management System: Certificate ISO 14001:2004; Social Accountability Management System: Certificate SA 8000:2008.
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
MIG-23 is an Energy Services Company (ESCO) in Bulgaria and will contribute greatly on the analysis assessment of customer needs and market analysis as well as in the implementation of the demos providing data and expertise on the customer side and energy services provision.

Alteo PLC

Hungary
ALTEO Plc. is a Hungarian-owned energy service and trading company with a modern outlook. It was founded in 2008 and since then it went through a continuous growth. As a result, now, we have more than 250 employees and a wide range of services in the energy sector. The scope of our business activity covers a wide range of activities including renewable and natural gas energy production, energy trade and bespoke energy services and development for companies. We provide our customers with a reliable and environmentally responsible energy supply based on the sustainable use of renewable energy.
 
As an energy trader, our partners include small and medium-sized Hungarian enterprises as well as large corporations. Our optimum mix of assets and virtual power plant enable us to serve the needs of our customers effectively. ALTEO is a company that is developing dynamically. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities for investment and growth and we work continuously to ensure that we provide our customers and partners with the most innovative range of services of the highest quality in an effort to achieve a continuous increase in shareholder value.
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Alteo is an Aggregator in Hungary and will contribute greatly on the analysis assessment of customer needs and market analysis as well as in the implementation of the demos providing data and expertise on the customer side and energy services provision.

Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange

Bulgaria
IBEX EAD was incorporated on 10 January, 2014 as a fully-owned subsidiary of the Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD. The company holds the sole license to operate a power exchange in Bulgaria issued by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission of Bulgaria (EWRC) for a period of 10 years. Bulgarian day-ahead market become operational on 19 January 2016 as a part of the EU-wide Multi Regional Coupling (MRC) and associate member of the Price Coupling of Regions (PCR) initiative.
 
On 27 January 2016 with an EWRC decision IBEX was designated as the Nominated Electricity Market Operator (NEMO) to implement the single price market coupling of the European day-ahead and intraday electricity markets (DAM and IDM) for the Bulgarian market pricing area for the next four years. The designation conformed that IBEX fulfills all the requirements set out in the CACM Regulation (Network Code) of 24 July 2015.
 
The fundamental task set out in the CACM Regulation is to ensure the smooth creation and effective operation of the European physical energy market. Today electricity is traded European-wide through market coupling, jointly organized by power exchanges and transmission system operators. Therefore, IBEX plans are directed toward future integration of the Bulgarian electricity market with the neighboring market zones.
 
Furthermore, as a solution to the gradual increase of energy generated from RES during the past years in Bulgaria that are seriously affecting the electricity market prices and grid operation Bulgarian intraday market is planned to become operational between the third and fourth quarter of 2017. Implementation of effective short-term market in Bulgaria will play a key role for successful integration of RES-E into the market and solution to variable and unpredictable physical nature of the RES.
 
Moreover, the digitalization of energy markets and the technological opportunities enabling algorithmic wholesale trading, machine learning and artificial intelligence will dramatically change the electricity market of the next decade.
 
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
IBEX is the Market Operator in Bulgaria and will provide market gaps and needs, energy market analysis and review of existing tools. It will also contribute significantly in the market integration of the demos in the Bulgarian market.

CYBERNETICA AS

Estonia
Cybernetica AS is a ICT R&D company that researches, develops and manufactures software solutions, maritime surveillance and radio communications systems; investigates and applies the theoretical and practical security solutions.
Cybernetica values the creativity of employees and respect between customers and colleagues. We support the professional development and achievements of our employees.
Our goal is to strengthen the position of Cybernetica as an international ICT competence centre, while offering internationally competitive products and services.
 
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Cybernetica will be responsible for the software development in WP5 Single Flexibility platform. Additionally for platform development we will be involved in platform architecture and risk analyses as well as platform technical testing and use cases’ testing/demonstration.