ACTIVATE is developing an AI-powered, cyber-physical system that orchestrates flexible electricity consumption and generation assets—ranging from electric vehicles and heat pumps to data centers—across grid-, market-, and tariff-based value streams. The project aims to establish a viable economic pathway for demand-side flexibility at the low-voltage level. It addresses one of the most pressing challenges of the energy transition: soaring positive and negative peak loads. As of 2024, approximately 47% of EU electricity is generated from renewable sources. Without active load shifting, cumulative grid expansion costs across the EU could reach €2.3 trillion by 2040. Digital twin simulations of a 1,100-household municipality show that high PV and e-mobility penetration nearly quadruples both positive and negative load peaks—while targeted flexibility activation could halve them.
The system aggregates local flexibilities within a distribution-level aggregator, which prioritizes their dispatch along three monetization pathways: (1) grid support for peak shaving, (2) spot market arbitrage, and (3) reduction of demand-based network tariffs. At its core is a self-learning AI-driven Load Controller that forecasts available flexibility up to 24 hours in advance, generates Pareto-optimal dispatch plans in 15-minute intervals, and dynamically adjusts to user preferences, grid conditions, and market signals. Data privacy is ensured via differential privacy and secure multiparty computation. The project’s novelty lies in its end-to-end integration of technical control, economic optimization, and regulatory interfacing—down to grid level 7. Both main components will be validated up to TRL 4.
Between 2026 and 2028, work will be structured into seven interlinked work packages: project, risk, and data management; development of a techno-economic requirement specification with pricing and revenue simulations; technical and organizational deployment of use cases; development of sensing, data processing, and AI modules; creation of an IoT-based simulation environment with a built-in privacy layer and aggregator prototype; field trials across three real-world settings—(i) the EV fleet of Sparkasse OÖ, (ii) the multifunctional JKU campus including its data center, and (iii) a geographically distributed testbed in the Waldviertel region—and impact assessment, policy translation, and dissemination.
The project targets proof-of-concept demonstrations for all three value streams, with peak load reductions of at least 50% and cost savings of up to 20% for end users. Outputs will include a transferable software toolbox for DSOs and aggregators, complemented by gender-sensitive user interfaces. Results will feed into evidence-based recommendations for updating the Austrian Electricity Act, future flexibility platforms, and technical-operational codes.
The nine-partner consortium bridges academia (Energieinstitut JKU, Pro²Future, LIT), industry (Siemens), utilities (EVN), real-world hosts, and a consulting partner. It reinforces Austria’s position in global value chains for smart charging and flexibility solutions, reduces infrastructure investment needs, enhances renewable energy integration, and unlocks new business models for consumers, network operators, and technology providers.
