PROJECT DESCRIPTION

RiBiFlex demonstrates, in real operational settings, how the coordinated integration of Vehicle-to-Home / Vehicle-to-Grid charging, residential storage and advanced Energy Management Systems can become a reliable, scalable and profitable flexibility resource for the power grid. The pilot deploys over 50 nodes, each equipped with a bidirectional wallbox, the smart flexibility system, EMS sensors and — where available — home batteries coupled with PV plants, all orchestrated through an aggregation cloud platform. The project runs for 18 months and brings technology from TRL 4 to TRL 7.

OVERALL PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Quantitative and system-level goals pursued by the whole consortium under call D.M. 386/2023:

• Activate at least 100 kW of total modulable power across the pilot network;
• Reduce evening peak demand in pilot neighbourhoods by 20%;
• Raise average PV self-consumption above 70%;
• Deliver an estimated annual economic benefit of about €400 to the end user, without compromising individual mobility;
• Enable observability and controllability of distributed energy resources, making prosumers active participants in grid flexibility schemes through open, interoperable standards (ISO 15118-20, OCPP 2.1, Chain2 with Open Meter smart meters).

MAC’S SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTION

Within the consortium, MAC is responsible for developing the Chain2gate4Flexibility smart flexibility system (CI-BT, CIR and EMS modules): the technological core that makes domestic energy resources observable and controllable and exposes them to flexibility markets. MAC owns the system across its entire lifecycle:

• System requirements analysis, study of applicable standards, communication protocols and energy management systems (BSP/RO, proprietary and third-party EMS);
• Functional and architectural design of the Chain2gate4Flexibility system and its technological modules;
• Prototype development (CI-BT + CIR + EMS), able to dialogue in Chain2 with Open Meter smart meters and to dynamically manage EV, storage, PV and energy-intensive loads;
• Integration of the system with BSP/RO, DSO, the other partners’ EMS, energy-intensive loads and storage systems;
• Prototype testing and certification, including security and privacy requirements;
• Field data monitoring from the Chain2gate4Flexibility system;
• Definition of the business model and intellectual-property exploitation strategy.

MAC’s share of the project: € 1,571,256.25 of eligible costs (21.08% of the total), with a public contribution of € 1,102,432.00.

EXPECTED PROJECT RESULTS

The tangible outputs delivered by the consortium (hardware, software, data and guidelines):

• An interoperable bidirectional wallbox (TRL 7 prototype) compliant with ISO 15118-20, V2H-wired and V2G-ready — developed by Daze;
• The Chain2gate4Flexibility flexibility system (CI-BT + CIR + EMS) — developed by MAC;
• The RIBIFLEX Cloud SaaS aggregation & forecasting platform, with Remote Operator and Balancing Service Provider functions — delivered by MAPS;
• A predictive software suite based on machine-learning algorithms for EV availability and PV forecasting — developed by Politecnico di Milano;
• An App/Dashboard for direct system management, interoperability tests (OCPP 2.0.1), real-time load-shifting trials, anonymised open datasets, technical white papers and peer-reviewed publications.

PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY SECURITY (MASE) UNDER MISSION INNOVATION – D.M. 386/2023. THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT RECEIVED BY MAC AMOUNTS TO € 1.102.432,00

Total project cost: € 7.452.667,45 — Total public contribution to the consortium: € 4.928.146,35. Consortium: Dazetechnology S.r.l. (lead partner), MAC S.r.l., MAPS S.p.A., Politecnico di Milano.