Comprising seven pilot projects in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia, the ALPGRIDS project aims to increase uptake of renewable energy sources (RES) in Alpine regions. The pilot projects involve the deployment of microgrids: small-scale energy systems that can operate autonomously or connected to the main grid. They group together RES producers and consumers and enable communities to generate renewable energy locally, reducing the risk of blackouts – a big problem in the Alps – and price volatility.
- 30 June 2021
‘The objective of ALPGRIDS is to make it easier to replicate the installation of local micro-energy grids. Via the pilot sites and the experiments, we identify the obstacles, to make replication and large-scale development easier. We think that this is will facilitate the energy transition.’
ALPGRIDS is developing a common understanding of microgrids and their benefits, with a view to creating a transnational policy environment that favours the adoption of microgrid solutions, particularly local energy communities.
The project builds on six existing pilot sites to formulate an Alpine microgrid model, an energy and climate policy package and a programme for replicating the model in the Alps and beyond. The process is supported by transnational activities such as workshops, site visits, summer schools and bilateral exchanges.
Resilient networks
Microgrids increase energy consumers’ autonomy by enabling them to buy electricity from local producers at reasonable prices. They make electricity networks more resilient in the event of emergencies. Further benefits include reduction of electricity losses and infrastructure costs and more opportunities for introducing new services.
In Austria, ALPGRIDS is implementing intelligent energy management and energy storage systems for buildings in the WEIZ innovation centre. It is also establishing a direct connection between a photovoltaic plant at Thannhausen and the surrounding neighbourhood.
In Grafing, Germany, the project is exploring a microgrid solution for a planned retirement home which will have a photovoltaic power plant on the roof and electric vehicle charging stations.
Extending existing grids
Of two ALPGRIDS projects in France, one extends the microgrid in the village of Saint-Julien-en-Quint across the rural Val de Quint area; the other is setting up six schemes in the Drôme department whereby local solar energy producers sell electricity directly to local consumers.
One project in Italy is compiling a feasibility study for extending the microgrid on the Savona university campus to a nearby neighbourhood. A second project involves the organisation into a microgrid of a school, a nursery, a museum and four social housing buildings in Udine.
In Slovenia, the project is performing a feasibility study for a microgrid connecting the municipal offices, a school, a nursery, a cultural centre and the fire station in Selnica ob Dravi. The school and possibly the fire station could serve as producers and users and the other buildings solely as users.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “ALPGRIDS” is EUR 1 881 778, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 599 511 through the “Interreg Alpine Space” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Low Carbon Alpine Space”.