Full title: Crete Renewable Energy Valley
Partners: EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTON (ICCS), ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS (CERTH), FUNDACION CARTIF (CARTIF), INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIA (INESC TEC), UNIVERSIDAD DE JAEN (UJA), EUROPEAN DYNAMICS LUXEMBOURG SA (ED), COMSENSUS, KOMUNIKACIJE IN SENZORIKA, DOO (COMS), RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN (RWTH), ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE (EDF), EPRI EUROPE DAC (EPRI), ONE TEAM SRL (ONETEAM), HOLISTIC IKE (HOL), PARITY PLATFORM IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUXIKI ETAIREIA (PARITY), ENDEF ENGINEERING SL (ENDEF), ELLINIKO MESOGEIAKO PANEPISTIMIO (HMU), E-SYNERGEIA IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIA (SYNERGY), SAMSO ENERGIAKADEMI FORENING (SAMSOE), PLANENERGI FOND (PLAN), SYCHEM ANONYMI ETAIREIA - SYSTIMATA EPEXERGASIAS NEROU - EXOIKONOMHSI ENERGEIAS - KOLYMVITIKES DEXAMENES - ANTIDIAVROTIKI PROSTASIA (SYCHEM), GENIKAI TOURISTIKAI EPICHEIRISEIS SOLMAR TOURS ANONYMI ETAIREIA (SOLMAR), KRITI (RoC), ENERGEIAKI KOINOTITA ANATOLIKIS KRITIS (MINOAN), EUNICE LABORATORIES MONOPROSOPI ANONYMI ETAIREIA (EUNICE), INDEPENDENT POWER TRANSMISSION OPERATOR SA (IPTO), DIACHEIRISTIS ELLINIKOU DIKTYOU DIANOMIS ELEKTRIKIS ENERGEIAS AE (HEDNO), DIAXIRISTIS ETHNIKOU SISTIMATOS FISIKOU AERIOU ANONIMI ETERIA. HELLENIC GAS TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OPERATOR (DESFA), ELLINIKO HRIMATISTIRIO ENERGEIAS (HEnEx), REGULATORY AUTHORITY FOR ENERGY (RYTHMISTIKI ARHI ENERGIAS) (RAE), MOL TEIC (DINGLE HUB) (MOL TEIC), ASM TERNI SPA (ASM), EMOTION SRL (EMOTION), CAPWATT SERVICES, S.A. (CAPWATT), XKW CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING UNIPESSOAL LDA (XKW), GRACIOLICA LDA (GRACIÓLICA), FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES AGENCES ET DES REGIONS POUR L'ENERGIE ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT (FEDARENE), ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH) (ICLEI), CONFERENCE DES REGIONS PERIPHERIQUES MARITIMES D EUROPE (CPMR), FONDAZIONE ICONS (ICONS), B.A.U.M. CONSULT GMBH (BAUM), DELOITTE LIMITED (DELOITTE), ZENTRUM FUR SOZIALE INNOVATION GMBH (ZSI).
Start date: 01/12/2023, Duration: 60 months
Project summary: CRETE VALLEY is an ambitious, transformative project that aims to establish a Renewable Energy Valley ‘Living Lab’ (REV-Lab) in Crete. The overarching goal is to create a decentralized, integrated renewable energy system that combines cutting-edge ICT technologies, interoperable digital solutions, and social innovation to deliver sustainable, affordable, and low-carbon energy. This REV-Lab will not only cater to the local energy needs but also serve as a global model for community-driven, technology-enabled energy transformation.
The REV-Lab will serve as an innovation hub that integrates renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and a digital backbone for real-time data analysis, energy management, and system optimization. It will leverage advanced AI, machine learning (ML), and blockchain technologies to provide an intelligent, interconnected grid capable of ensuring energy autonomy for the region. The energy system will be designed to be scalable and adaptable, enabling other regions to replicate the model.
A key aspect of the project will be the Community Energy Labs (CELs), which will be set up across Crete as localized centers for energy innovation. These hubs will support citizen engagement, foster co-design processes, and implement social innovation frameworks, allowing the community to actively contribute to the creation, implementation, and exploitation of Renewable Energy Systems (RES).
The project will also employ a variety of data-driven tools, including augmented reality and decision support systems, to enhance planning, configuration, and management of the energy grid. This digital infrastructure will support energy storage optimization, real-time energy market participation, and the seamless integration of various renewable energy carriers like solar, wind, and hydropower. The REV-Lab’s approach will ultimately create a self-sufficient energy ecosystem capable of contributing to energy resilience and supporting a low-carbon economy. This initiative aligns with the EU's climate goals and serves as a blueprint for the future of renewable energy integration, scalable solutions, and community empowerment.
Project objectives:
Establish a Decentralized Renewable Energy System.
Create an Affordable, Self-Sufficient Energy Ecosystem.
Promote Social Innovation and Citizen Involvement.
Deploy Cutting-Edge Technological Solutions.
Develop Governance and Business Models for Sustainable Energy.
Advance Energy Efficiency and Autonomy.
Scale and Replicate the REV-Lab Model.
Drive Sustainable Economic and Technological Innovation.
Role of ICCS:
ICCS (participating through the Decision Support Systems Lab) will be the project coordinator, it will contribute as follows:
Task 2.2 - “KPIs identification & REV Readiness Assessment Toolkit” (task leader)
WP4 - “Digital Twin for the local energy grid & consumers-level data-driven services” (WP leader)
Task 5.5 – “Deployment & integration of the Digital Twin” (task leader)
WP9 – “Coordination and Management” (WP leader)