Let's switch on the future

The Lugaggia Innovation Community:
a new solution to facilitate the implementation of the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050

The Future Grid

The power sector is facing a paradigm change, moving from a centralized structure with big power plants (hydro, coal, gas and nuclear) to a decentralized scenario of distributed energy resources, such as solar and wind. Within this framework, a new actor is emerging, the prosumer, i.e. households or organizations which at times produce surplus energy and feed it into a distribution network; whilst at other times (when their energy requirements outstrip their own production) they consume energy from that grid.

Self Consumption Communities

Self-consumption Communities consist of a set of prosumers, connected to low voltage feeders on the same substation, that exchange energy to maximize the group’s autarky. They can internally optimize the synchronization of their energy production/consumption by exploiting electric storage and demand-side management.

Project partners

Smart Meters for centralized management

OptiFlex is a Smart Grid solution for the management of the demand side flexibility, in the distribution grid.The main innovation is that the sensing and the actuation rely only on the standard Smart Metering infrastructure provided by Landis + Gyr and do not require the installation of additional hardware, making the solution cost-efficient for the utility and financially competitive. Moreover, the energy management solution will combine home appliances, a district battery and even hydro plants.

Blockchain for decentralized management

We envision a future electrical grid characterized by an increase in the exchange of energy between prosumers, consumers and electric utilities, optimizing the use of energy resources and infrastructure. In this context, enabling technologies like blockchain will allow decentralized prosumers to safely buy and sell electricity to each other at negligible transaction costs. New aggregators exploiting this technology can act as energy suppliers and compete in the global market.

Expected project benefits