HYPERGRYD (Hybrid coupled networks for thermal-electric integrated smart energy Districts) is a European project, that lasts 42 months funded by the Horizon 2020 program for € 5.987.875, involving 19 partner entities, including companies, universities, research institutions, from 7 European countries. Envipark is one of the 4 Italian partners. The project is part of the broad context of climate neutrality, a goal that the EU with the Green Deal has set to achieve by 2050.
A complete decarbonization of the energy system in Europe can be achieved through the integration of different energy sources and carriers, which is also key to ensure a secure and resilient energy supply. HYPERGRYD addresses the issue of promoting Smart Hybrid Grids (SHGs), with a holistic interdisciplinary approach to overcome all those technical, regulatory and practical obstacles that are present.
It aims to develop replicable and scalable technical solutions that enable the integration of thermal and electric grids through digitally managed renewable energy-based solutions, with the aim of accelerating the transition to fourth- and fifth-generation district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. The project is based on 4 pillars:
- ICT technology and tool development, aiming to provide cost-effective and energy-efficient technologies and software solutions, integrated and managed through the HYPERGRYD platform.
- Validation campaign at TRL5, dedicated to validate the technology packages under different operating conditions, simulated in 4 Live-In-Labs that are representative of different climates and types of DHC/grid.
- User engagement, in order to strengthen market potential and increase stakeholder and user awareness of HYPERGRYD solutions, also leveraging innovative exchange schemes based on Local Energy Communities (LECs).
- Creation of value chains and business models, tailored to the proposed technologies and tools, leveraging the HYPERGRYD stakeholder community and seeking to identify business models and market opportunities from different European contexts.
OUR ROLE
ENVIPARK, as a partner in the Hypergryd project, is one of the 4 representative Live-In-Labs chosen for the validation phase of HYPERGRYD’s technical solutions, ICT platform and tools, which can simulate third- and fifth-generation DHC networks in different climates.
The Hypergryd technology that will be tested will be ENCO dynamic simulation tool and Digital Twin. It will be used to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of retrofit to a fourth-generation DHC; the combined management and operation of electric and thermal networks; and the reduction of external energy sources.