The Groningen (Netherlands) COMMUNITAS pilot continues actively with scheduling for installation of monitoring equipment as well as outreach in the neighborhood of Selwerd. The pilot aims at piloting digital tools and developing an energy community from scratch, notably in the districts that already have district heating infrastructure, for which there will be need to tailor engagement activities.
The installation work has already been put in progress. Equipment like dongles and screens will reach Grunneger Power (GP), with internal pilot starting from early January. The plugs were sent to TNO and would be tested internally first. 50 dongles and screens would be deployed in residents on 21 January in an information session, with the second batch of 50 equipment to be installed in March/April. Plug installations will be preceded by internal evaluations.
Data handling has some limitations. Baseline data on consumption and production does not exist today, but progress is being made in this direction. Shelly device data will be handled using a TNO-controlled environment with dongle and P4 data into the Civitas platform. User agreements and data exchange protocol are being developed to finalize under cooperation with TNO.
The engagement plan is gradually taking shape. A pilot session on energy communities was well received, though many participants still have no idea what such a community is and how they can participate. To generate momentum, the pilot is tapping into local existing frameworks, including:
- The Working Group Heat Network Selwerd-West
- The User Experience Evaluation Group for Heat Network Larix
- A Homeowners’ Association (HOA) preparing for renovations, where one board member is also part of the Selwerd-West working group
Upliftingly, 50 GP members signed up in the information session, capitalizing on prior experience with energy-related issues and laying a strong groundwork for the pilot’s next phases.
As the roll-out of equipment begins, Groningen pilot is laying the groundwork for a community-driven local energy community with the support of digital innovation and shared frameworks. The focus now turns to enabling residents to work with the tools and experience the advantages in developing smarter, more inclusive energy systems.