Neon

NEON will perform coordination and support activities to go forward in the use of technologies and concepts in state-of-the-art integrated energy services in citizen energy communities (CEC), such as single or multiple buildings, aimed at improving the quality of life of European citizens, while improves the performance of energy systems.

About Neon

Specific objectives and technological applications

NEON project aims to undertake coordination and support activities to advance the leveraging technologies and concepts to deliver the next-generation integrated energy services for communities, either as single or multiple buildings, targeted to enhance the quality of life of European citizens, while improving the performance of energy system at the same time.

Under the context introduced by Directive (EU) 2019/944 (link), the concept of Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) will be leveraged to set the legal and business foundations to enable faster uptake of the proposed services, and facilitate European communities, both residential and non-residential, in becoming energy efficient.

Project's main objectives

Tools & Methods

NEON will undertake coordination and support activities to enable the technical and business ecosystem for integrated energy services for European communities, capable of saving energy, reducing CO₂emissions and bringing economic and social benefits, while valorising the energy efficiency and flexibility at demand-side.

NEON is a 2,5-year coordination and support action (CSA) funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme, under Grant Agreement number 101033700, aiming at six main specific objectives:

Enable the synergy of energy efficiency and other energy services via a holistic optimization approach.
Develop effective business models and contracting schemes across different stakeholders.
Bundle energy and non-energy benefits as part of the consumer-tailored services.
Unlock demand-side flexibility potential through hybrid demand response (DR) model.
Maximize the exploitation of energy efficiency through improved building operation.
Implement innovative performance M&V and smart remuneration mechanisms.

Impacts

The impacts of NEON will be measured with the 5 challenges defined below:

Challenge 1: Energy efficiency services for multi-measure building efficiency improvement: Energy Performance Contracting vs Energy Supply Contract (EPC/ESC).
Challenge 2: Optimal energy asset scheduling (Renewal Energy Systems – RES, storage and electric vehicle – EV charging) for improved self-sufficiency, Virtual Power Plants vs Virtual Energy Storage – VPP/VES.
Challenge 3: Advanced building control for optimal operation of heating/cooling systems, lighting, smart appliances, etc.
Challenge 4: Demand response (DR) services for grid flexibility improvement via explicit and implicit DR mechanisms (Pay for Performance – P4P).
Challenge 5: Use-tailored services for ensuring comfort, health (air quality, assisted living services) and safety requirements.

Solutions

NEON will propose to solve the problems by defining the following effective concepts based on effective energy services:

Concept 1: Enabling the energy efficiency and flexibility resources at the demand side, which is still largely untapped.

Concept 2: Ensure cutting-edge control capabilities across building systems and energy assets in an integrative manner.

Concept 3: Enable the cross-sectoral business.

https://neonproject.eu/