The aim of this project is to assess the impact of the energy transition on Creos' low-voltage electricity network, while testing innovative solutions to manage these repercussions.
The impact on the electricity grid infrastructure is changing, with new uses linked to the electrification of heating and mobility, as well as the emergence of photovoltaic installations. For this reason, Creos has launched the Creos Living Lab pilot project in July 2024. The aim of this project is to assess the impact of the energy transition on our low-voltage electricity network and to test innovative solutions to manage these effects.
In the village of Cruchten, 14 households equipped with 14 electric vehicles, 12 heat pumps, 11 photovoltaic installations and 4 batteries will help Creos to simulate the electricity network of 2030 in a real environment.
Over the course of a year, we will follow the project participants, who will receive instructions and advice on how to adopt different behaviours. With the help of the participants and a home energy management system provided by Nexxtlab, we will be able to simulate different scenarios in the grid, such as encouraging self-consumption at lunchtime or shifting electric vehicle charging to off-peak hours.
Our infrastructure will be carefully monitored throughout the project. Thanks to close collaboration with Datathings, Creos IT, Metering Services and Dispatching, the Alva digital twin will enable us to test smart grid solutions.
The Creos Living Lab project, which involves the collaboration of several departments, will help Creos to prepare for certain challenges related to the energy transition and thus to fulfil one of its essential missions: to ensure the transport and distribution of energy on the electricity networks, now and in the future.
By adopting simple daily habits, residential consumers can contribute to the efficient use of available natural resources.
During dark and cold winter evenings, heating, cooking, and lighting increase consumption on the grid during peak hours, which are often between 5 PM and 9 PM.
To support the grid, a good practice is to shift some electrical uses, like charging your electric vehicle, to nighttime. During sunny summer days, a large portion of photovoltaic installations' production is available. To consume more renewable electricity, flexible usages, like charging your electric vehicle or running the dishwasher, should be shifted to sunny periods.
To ensure the best success of the project and allow the entire ecosystem to learn from it, Creos integrated several partners from the start:
Klima-Agence: To help integrate project participants, provide energy advice, and promote and communicate results to the general public.
House of Automobile: To integrate the automotive sector into the project and communicate the results to electric vehicle sellers.
Fédération des Artisans: To integrate the electricians and heating engineers sector and communicate the results to them.
From the beginning of the project, Creos also included the Ministry of the Economy and the regulator.
The Creos Living Lab showed that smart grids and active customer participation can help manage growing electricity demand and renewable energy production.
The project demonstrated that customer behavior is a key puzzle piece to manage the energy transition. Simple measures such as charging electric vehicles outside evening peak hours and increasing self-consumption of solar energy proved effective and were easily adopted without significant impacts on comfort. This can be easily implemented by using the calendar function within the electric vehicle settings and setting it to start charging after 23:00 for example. For households without an EV, the same functions exist for dishwashers and washing machines.
The Living Lab also demonstrated that smart grid technologies can help reduce electricity peaks and make better use of existing grid infrastructure. Forecast-based control worked well for managing high solar energy production on sunny days, while real-time control proved effective for both consumption and production peaks, although it requires additional communication and monitoring infrastructure. Smart load management is feasible without significant impacts on customer comfort, but nuanced and highly precise load reduction via smart meter relays is inherently difficult.
A key lesson learned is that a resilient low voltage grid cannot rely on a single solution or actor to support the transformation of the energy system. Smart technologies, engaged customers, skilled professionals, and interoperable digital systems must work together to build a future-ready electricity grid.
Discover the detailed results in the final report below.
Information panels - To learn more about the home of the future, the challenges of the energy transition, and the operation of our electrical grid (FR/DE)
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Press release - Creos Living Lab : Un Nouveau Chapitre pour la Transition Énergétique au Luxembourg (FR)
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