Summary of Proposal

The primary objective
The proposal addresses
Work packages
Expected outputs
Innovation
European added value and contribution to EU policies
The project contributes to the following EU policies
Contribution to the environment and other Community social objectives
Economic development and S/T prospects

The primary objective
The primary objective of the project is to advocate the concept of distributed generation (DG) + Renewable Energy Sources (RES) integration and committed to the advance of its use in Europe by:

Making stakeholders aware of the increasing efficiency and sustainability of RES+DG new technologies when compared with conventional central generation stations.
Removing technical, business practice, regulatory, and cost related interconnection barriers to the grids.
New electricity grids acceptance of intermittent RES+DG without risk in quality and safety.

This process will be achieved through the setting up of a “European Network for Integration of RES+DG ” - ENIRDGnet, involving main stakeholders.

The proposal addresses
The proposal addresses "Target Action I. Integration of RES and distributed generation in energy supply systems: Integration as well as the priorities of strategic importance to the EU".

Work packages
To achieve the objectives the work plan along 3 years duration, will be divided into work packages and tasks.

WP 0.     Network management, dissemination and exploitation.
WP 1.     Concept & opportunities of DG: The driving of European forces and trends.
WP 2.     Review the international state of the art. Mapping of European Centres of Excellence and suppliers.
WP 3.     RTD (Research, Technological Development) strategy Benchmarking of National and European programmes & projects.
WP 4.     Practices for Standardization & Testing and Certification procedures.
WP 5.     Socio-economic research: Commercial practices and business terms.
WP 6.     Communication, Information + e-trading.
WP 7.     Institutional policy, regulatory framework and further RTD needs.

Expected outputs

Study on DG concept & opportunities: The driving of European forces and trends.

Technical Assessment of DG-Technologies and Tendencies of technical developments.

Mapping out the RTD excellence in the EU and Data base of suppliers.

Case studies on European interconnection barriers to the grid (50).

Guide and Action Plan for reducing interconnection barriers at European level.

European interconnection requirements draft for DG.

Partners’ DG RTD projects&networks. Co-ordination and monitoring reports.

Recommended practices for Standardization and Testing & Certification procedures and commercial practices and business terms.

Communication interface case studies (8) and Electricity cost model (on computer).

Action plan towards standardized communication interfaces.

Guidelines for improved DG+RES related information access.

Evaluated Interviews with energy trading stakeholders.

Guide for improved role of DG+RES in energy trading.

Recommendations for Institutional policy and regulatory framework and for further RTD needs.

Conferences, Seminars...

Innovation

The setting up of the “European network for Integration of RES +DG” (ENIRDGnet).

Integration of multidisciplinary and multisectorial activities involving the principal European stakeholders in RES+DG and addressing complex societal driven issues.
Concentration in finding solutions to strategic problems: remove technical, business practice, regulatory, and cost related interconnection barriers at European level.
Clustering for co-ordination and monitoring of RES+DG related projects&networks of the ENIRDGnet members and Exploiting the potential of new ICTs in Energy.

European added value and contribution to EU policies
The consortium is constituted by 37 participants from 15 countries. “A core Group“ of 14 principal partners from 10 European countries and “Group of members” of 23 partners. The consortium covers a range of stakeholders able to deal with the technologies and for dissemination an exploitation purposes. The project contributes to the European added value in terms of:

High potential for deployment and demonstration in combination with National and Regional actions.
Transnationality and complementary skills and critical mass on technical, commercial and financial matters.
Possibilities for international co-operation with USA and Developing Countries.
Addressing the priorities of strategic importance to the EU such as Exploiting the potential of new ICTs in energy RTD including e-science issues- Socio-economic research related to energy technologies and their impact and. Prenormative research of interest at EU level.

The project contributes to the following EU policies

EU energy related policies such as Green House Gas (GHG) emission reductions and Rational Use of Energy.
EU industrial policy and to an economic sustainable development.
Increasing social cohesion and improving regional economy.
EU External Policy of the European Union promoting sustainable development in Eastern European Countries and in future members of the EU.
EC communications and Council resolution to the implementation of ERA.

Contribution to the environment and other Community social objectives
The promotion of a broader integration of DG energies into the grid systems will have a very positive impact in the preservation of the environment and natural resources, since they are non or quasi non contaminant energy sources. Contributes to quality of life, health and safety, by reducing the emissions and by avoiding more risky conventional technologies for the creation of energy. The development of new markets of energy production using distributed resources will have a considerable impact on employment.

Economic development and S/T prospects
The emerging RES+DG market is in its early phases and there is a wide field for technology advancements in DG technologies and for removing technical and non technical barriers. On the other hand, the need of electric generation increasing capacity makes an important market for RES+DG integration. A dissemination plan will be carried out for all outputs of the project:

Web site: public access to project outputs, Intra-network communication and partner meetings.
Missions to Eastern member states.
International conferences and National workshops.

An exploitation plan will be developed through general partner, steering and working group meetings. The exploitation plan will be available for the mid-term review meeting with the EC. Potential exploitation avenues: Industrial partner product, service and market development, and RTD project development. Formation of Virtual institute on RES+DG and ENIRDG net’s business plan for future activities.