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Demand Response for short and real-time Efficient And Market based smart Grid Operation

DREAM-GO brings together pioneering research teams in key areas such electrical smart grids and artificial intelligence, and innovative companies with a wide market experience. It is a collaboration between the University of Salamanca (Spain), the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal), the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany) as well as ISA Energy Efficiency (Portugal), Nebusens S.L. (Spain) and Discovergy (Germany).

Funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014) European research grant with 369.000 €, it started in February last year and lasts for four years. The project started with the knowledge and skill set of its partners in various areas, and aimed to build a framework within smart energy grids, including methods, techniques and tools.

The goal is to create new products and services capable of ensuring the efficient operation of energy networks through the use of intelligent techniques associated with the electricity market, and to also electric batteries that take energy consumption into account.

How to create electric batteries that take energy consumption into account?

It is necessary to find a balance, so we need to know the consumption and the production of each item as well as its cost. It is possible to make intelligent use of batteries in order to recover or store energy in devices such as an electric car battery. This balancing process can be applied to both private homes and businesses.

The role of BISITE within the project is to develop the hardware and intelligent balancing models. These developments will make it possible to measure power consumption on different devices, create a balance, and manage the energy stored in the battery. The information collected by the hardware is analyzed through different optimization algorithms that allow for the intelligent management of the system as a whole.

Research and innovation personnel exchange

Complementary expertise in key areas of the project are the basis for a high level of international and intersectoral collaboration through the exchange of personnel in research and innovation. This is why for the last month we have been hosting several researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of Porto.

During their stay with our research group, Ali Fotouhi, Omid Abrishambaf, João Spinola and Tiago Sousa have been running simulations of market demand to optimize energy use. One of goals within the project is for electricity consumers to become more aware and active and, therefore, have a positive impact on the efficiency of the systems.