BEYOND is a response to the complex challenges in the energy market: the growing share of renewables in the energy mix, the large number of decentralised feed-ins, private power storage systems, the impending increase in power consumption caused by electrification (e-mobility and heating buildings) and as-yet untapped potential for greater flexibility. 

Led by TU Wien1 this project is developing and demonstrating new market designs as well as applications for integrated local and regional energy systems that benefit grids and systems. The aim is to optimise local energy systems containing many different market participants while also enabling them to be integrated into regional and national grids. To this end, a socio-technical ecosystem is being created that is being implemented and trialled in three testbeds, each with specific characteristics. New monitoring strategies and the use of decentralised IT technologies (including blockchain) are being studied and evaluated as part of the project, and concepts for local and regional energy markets and innovative partnership and business models are being devised.
 
The new concepts and digital solutions are being developed in collaboration with future users and relevant stakeholders (e.g. grid operators) to facilitate a high level of acceptance and enable the results to be replicated elsewhere. The general legal and regulatory conditions as well as European, regional and local market trends are also being taken into consideration in this process.

The feasibility of the concepts being developed will be assessed from autumn 2020 onwards based on use cases in the municipality of Großschönau and two energy-buying groups – best connect (which has members throughout Austria) and eFriends (based in Lower Austria). The plan is to link up and optimise the energy systems of up to 50 households and businesses. The trial is intended to showcase the technological advantages of the model as well as its commercial potential.
greenenergylab.at/project/beyond

¹ Project partners:
TU Wien (project management), best connect Unternehmergemeinschaft GmbH, eFriends Energy GmbH, Forschung Burgenland GmbH, Moosmoar Energies OG, ms.gis Informationssysteme GmbH, Sonnenplatz Großschönau GmbH, University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology, SINTEF, Svartlamoen Boligstiftelse, FLEXIDAO S.E.S.S.L., International Energy Research Centre/Tyndall National Institute, CITCEA-UPC