On 28–29 April 2026, the U2Demo consortium gathered in Karlsruhe (Germany) for its latest General Assembly, hosted by the European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER). Over two dynamic days, partners came together to review progress, deepen technical alignment, and strengthen collaboration as the project moves further into its implementation phase.
A strong start: progress and technical deep dives
The first day set the tone with a comprehensive overview of project progress and a series of technical sessions covering the core building blocks of U2Demo.
The consortium reviewed its overall advancement, with nearly half of the project completed and significant progress across deliverables, milestones, and technical work packages.
A central highlight was the demonstration of the project’s P2P energy sharing tools, including:
- Forecasting models supporting data-driven decision-making
- Local and energy community optimisation tools for managing distributed energy resources
- P2P trading mechanisms, enabling direct energy exchanges between participants
- Advanced models for allocation, pricing, auctions, settlement and billing
These sessions showcased how U2Demo is translating theory into practical tools, addressing real-world challenges such as fairness, flexibility, and efficiency in local energy markets.
Building the backbone: platform integration and data architecture
A key focus of Day 1 was the integration of these tools into a coherent ecosystem. Discussions covered:
- The Digital Spine architecture, enabling secure and interoperable communication between systems
- The development of shared data models and ontologies, ensuring consistency across pilots
- Strategies for algorithm deployment and platform orchestration
These elements are essential to ensure that the different components developed by partners can effectively work together in real-world demonstrators.
Demonstrators at the forefront
The afternoon sessions focused on pilot demonstrations, with partners sharing updates from different countries.
These discussions highlighted both progress and challenges:
- Implementation of energy sharing mechanisms in real communities
- Integration of flexible assets such as batteries, EVs, and heat pumps
- Development of user interfaces and engagement strategies
- Lessons learned from recruitment and community participation
The exchanges provided valuable cross‑learning opportunities, helping align approaches across pilots and refine next steps.
Collaboration beyond the sessions
Beyond the technical sessions, the General Assembly offered an important opportunity for partners to reconnect in person, exchange ideas informally, and reinforce collaboration.
From working discussions to the networking dinner, the atmosphere reflected a shared commitment to advancing smarter, more inclusive local energy systems.
Day 2: demos, strategy and looking ahead
The second day continued with a strong focus on demonstrator progress, including updates from pilots in the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium.
Sessions also addressed:
- Communication and dissemination strategies as the project enters a more visible phase
- Standardisation and harmonisation efforts
- Innovation and exploitation pathways
- Collaboration efforts with our sister project INTELLIGENT
These discussions underline the importance of ensuring that U2Demo results not only deliver technical value, but also generate impact beyond the project itself.
Visit to KIT Energy Lab
The General Assembly concluded with a visit to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Campus Nord, including the Energy Lab.
This visit provided partners with first-hand insights into cutting-edge research infrastructures supporting the energy transition, further enriching the exchange of ideas between research and implementation.
Moving forward together
The Karlsruhe General Assembly marked an important milestone for U2Demo. With strong progress across technical development, platform integration, and pilot deployment, the project is steadily moving from design to real-world implementation.
Most importantly, the meeting reinforced the strength of the consortium: a diverse group of partners working together to make peer‑to‑peer energy sharing and local energy communities a reality across Europe.
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