The ElectraFlex project, utilising Energy Web’s blockchain, is being developed to deliver flexibility to the distribution grid in the Catalonia region.
The initiative involves the Catalonian grid operator Electra Caldense Distribució, the energy retailer Electra Caldense Energia, and Barcelona headquartered software-as-a-service provider Bamboo Energy alongside Energy Web.
The collaboration will deploy the open source EW-DOS blockchain technology stack and Bamboo Energy’s flexibility platform to enable Electra Caldense to utilise the flexibility of assets connected to the network, including battery storage, solar PV facilities and electric vehicles.
Other project partners include the energy storage company CEGASA, electric vehicle charge point provider Vega Chargers, and industrial companies Top Cable and Recam Laser.
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“We are very excited to join Energy Web and Bamboo Energy on this amazing project together with all other partners,” said Oriol Xalabarder, CEO of Electra Group.
“We are convinced that we will be generating the necessary innovation and knowledge in order to face energy transition challenges as both a 100% renewable energy retailer and a distribution system operator.”
ElectraFlex is believed to be the first decentralised flexibility platform tailored for the specific needs of a distribution system operator (DSO). The platform will use the EW-DOS technology stack to assign digital identities to the connected assets and flexibility market participants, allowing them to self-register in energy markets and offer services to Electra Caldense, as well as to the Spanish transmission system operator Red Eléctrica de España.
Bamboo Energy’s software solution for demand aggregation will also be deployed to manage and optimise demand flexibility for two industrial companies, Top Cable and Recam Laser and a PV farm with batteries from CEGASA. In a second phase, a bidirectional electric vehicle charging station from Vega Chargers will be integrated.
SunSpec compliance
In the context of the ElectraFlex project, Energy Web will develop and deploy the EW SunSpec Gateway, an open source toolkit for industrial single-board computers that will allow any distributed energy resource compliant with the SunSpec Modbus Specification to have its own digital identity on EW-DOS.
ElectraFlex was initiated in January and is expected to be completed by the end of July 2021.
Electra Caldense is the DSO for a region of the Spanish power grid just north of Barcelona, serving more than 12,400 customers. As a member of Energy Web, Electra Caldense will host an EW Chain validator node.