On June 25, our partner HEDNO had the opportunity to present the CRETE VALLEY project at a closed session of the E.DSO Innovation & Research Committee (IRCO), which brought together key representatives from Distribution System Operators (DSOs) across Europe. The session focused on the evolving role of energy communities and how DSOs can effectively collaborate with municipalities to support the energy transition.
The CRETE VALLEY presentation offered a high-level overview of the project’s objectives, challenges, and the innovative solutions developed by the consortium. It highlighted the project’s progress to date, addressed implementation barriers, and shared practical insights from local collaboration strategies.
In line with the meeting’s thematic focus, key aspects of the presentation included:
Business models and DSO incentives to enable and support energy communities.
Technical integration challenges, particularly in the areas of flexibility and data sharing.
Fair network cost allocation models and cooperation frameworks with municipalities.
Replicable practices and open research questions relevant for other DSOs across Europe.
Among the key takeaways was the importance of standardized, sovereign-respecting data-sharing frameworks and the need for accurate forecasting tools in light of increasing renewable integration and changing consumption patterns. The project also underscored the value of modular digital solutions and social research to ensure meaningful citizen participation in energy communities.
CRETE VALLEY’s contribution, alongside other projects such as Joule4Joule, BeFlexible, and COPPER, fostered rich discussion on interoperability, replicability, and the role of DSOs in driving innovation. The meeting reaffirmed energy communities as a cornerstone of Europe’s future energy system and the critical role of DSO-led innovation in shaping this transformation.
Cover photo by Giuseppe Famiani on Unsplash
