Europe’s electricity sector is experiencing severe transformations: modernization of the electricity system is vital for achieving Europe’s energy targets, and smart grids and flexible electricity systems are essential for this modernization. On this respect, the SMILE project will demonstrate different innovative technological and non-technological solutions in large-scale smart grid demonstration projects in the Orkneys, Samsø and Madeira islands, paving the way for their introduction in the market in the near future. The technological solutions vary from: integration of battery technology, power to heat, power to fuel, pumped hydro, electric vehicles, electricity stored on board of boats, an aggregator approach to demand side management (DSM) and predictive algorithms. The pilots will demonstrate operation of the distribution grid under stable and secure conditions to implement solutions for demand response, intelligent control and automation of distribution networks; they have high shares of RES in the electricity grid or have planned increasing shares in the next years. All of them will demonstrate stable grid operation with use of storage solutions and smart integration of grid users from transport. Each pilot will test the most appropriate solutions for local specificities, and common lessons with cross-cutting valence will be derived. Involving projects on islands will ease engaging residents in SMILE. Indeed, islanders are usually sensible to provide availability to test solutions impacting their daily life. Finally, two of the pilots are not total energy islands, thus representing smart grids located on the mainland and not limiting replication potential to other island locations only. SMILE consortium is composed by 19 partners from 6 EU countries: all the value chain actors needed to efficiently implement the 3 projects have been involved and an innovation management approach will guarantee a wider exploitation and replication of technological solutions.

The objective of this project is to analyze the commercial and technical feasibility of the upscale of an energy sensing disaggregation system coupled with an innovative family eco-feedback. Our sensing system ENERGY SPECTRUM is capable of disaggregating home energy consumption using a low-cost and effective non-intrusive approach costing less than most of our competitor solutions. The sensing system is coupled with a middleware web system that supports novel eco-feedback strategies that are meaningful and compelling for families and households. Our real world test beds (demonstrate a potential for improvement in energy conservation efficiency by 42% with a long-term impact (our competitors claim increases between 4-20% with known problems of relapse in conservation activities). Our company, PRSMA (the commercial name of Bright Curiosity, LDA) is a spinoff SME created by a research team at M-ITI associated with an entrepreneur from the energy and electronics industry. Our aim is to commercialize ENERGY SPECTRUM, an energy disaggregation system coming out of a successful transnational research project involving teams in Europe (Madeira/Portugal) and the USA (Carnegie Mellon University). The ownership and IPR of this result has been transferred by the research organization to PRSMA. The research underlying this initiative was extensively published in international conferences and journals and awarded by the “IFIP Conference on Sustainable Internet and ICT for Sustainability” Three potential customers have already demonstrated their interest in the project outcome, including EDP, an international Utility with more than 10 million customers and present in the markets of EU, USA and Brazil. The aim of ENERGY SPECTRUM is to reach 1% of a specific EU niche mark (family households with 3-5 members) and achieve a yearly profit of 10,2 million Euros, five years after the ENERGY SPECTRUM commercialization starts. We forecast to enter in USA market in 2022.