14. Smart Specialisation Thematic Platform on Energy
Type of service
The Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3P-Energy) supports policy-makers, authorities and stakeholders involved in energy and research, innovation policies. Proactive match-making is provided to Member States and regions that have planned investments in energy innovation. Thematic seminars, research and analysis, implementation advice, guidance materials and dissemination actions reinforce the cooperation between Member States/regions, strengthen regional/local capacities, and increase the impact of their activities. S3P-Energy supports Member States and regions towards an effective implementation of their Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). In particular, the S3P-Energy aims at supporting the effective uptake of the Cohesion Policy funding opportunities for energy innovation activities at national, regional and local levels. The ultimate objective of the S3P-Energy is to contribute to the shift towards a low carbon economy and to respond to challenges identified in the EU 2020 Strategy.
15. Helping unleash energy efficiency potential in heating and cooling supply
Type of service
The JRC supports regions with interests in sustainable heating and cooling (H&C) to make the best use of Cohesion and research and innovation funds. The initiative is integrated in the activities carried out by the Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3P), jointly developed by the JRC, DG REGIO and DG ENER. The JRC provides guidance materials, promotes knowledge sharing and information tailored to facilitate decision-making on heating and cooling technology solutions, and informs about financing options.
In particular, JRC provides:
- Regional mapping on interests and issues related to heating and cooling to foster cooperation amongst regions.
- Technical assistance in the definition of regional heating and cooling strategies focused on the most promising technologies including amongst others; district heating and cooling, cogeneration, waste heat from industry, solar heat or geothermal.
- Financial support on existing mechanism to fund heating and cooling projects and best utilising of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF funds), also in combination with other financing sources, like the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI funds);
- Policy recommendations on how to draft regional heating and cooling strategies and on how to align national and regional energy strategies.
16. Optimising investments for the digitalisation of energy solutions
Type of service
Support in mapping and assessing digitalisation of energy transitions including: smart grid projects, retail market regulations, integration of consumers/prosumers, energy vulnerability/poverty. JRC can help identifying actors, funding sources and facilitate lessons learned and best practices compiled in a wealth of projects:
- Smart Grid Project Outlook, with knowledge and insights on almost a thousand projects, for a total investment of ca €5 billion;
- Distribution System Operators observatory with the most comprehensive data collection exercise on European distribution systems in Europe;
- Cost-benefit methodologies and use cases, applied to smart meters deployment and smart grids in Europe and elsewhere;
- The social dimension of digital energy;
- Smart Specialisation Platform on Smart Grids, where all the European regions interested in the digitilisation of energy interact and develop common approaches.
17. PVGIS: Estimating photovoltaic electricity production at local level
Type of service
The PVGIS online tool (PhotoVoltaic Geographical Information System) allows users to make estimates of photovoltaic (PV) energy output at any location over large geographical regions. It has been running successfully for over 15 years and at the time of writing covers Europe, Africa, most of Asia and most of the Americas. PVGIS also makes geospatial data sets available for download, which can be used in GIS software, and produces summary statistics for solar radiation and PV energy output for countries and regions in Europe. More detailed geospatial studies can also be made using the PVMAPS software, which runs as part of the open-source GRASS GIS software. Finally, a 30-year high-resolution time series of solar power generation at EU country, bidding zone, NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 level is available as part of the JRC 's EMHIRES dataset, generated using PVGIS's algorithms.
18. TEMA: Transport tEchnology and Mobility Assessment Platform
Type of service
Big data in support of regional mobility and vehicle emissions analysis. TEMA (Transport tEchnology and Mobility Assessment platform) is a flexible and modular big data platform, based on GPS mobility data and interfaced with GIS-based digital geographic mapping systems. It aims at harnessing the potential of big data in support to transport policy, performing a wide-range of mobility analyses. It characterises the driving behaviour of the vehicles at a regional level and investigates the potential of innovative vehicle technologies nested in complex transportation systems. The platform is designed also to serve real-world vehicle emission applications. It evaluates driving and evaporative gaseous emissions from conventional fuel vehicles and eco-innovation technologies assessments.
19. Optimal allocation of electric-vehicle charging infrastructure in cities and regions
Type of service
JRC has developed a methodology to identify optimal locations of electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations within a large region. This is the GIS (Geographic Information System) methodology, based on open source tools.
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JRC Services: why and how to engage with the European Commission’s science and knowledge service