About this project
Innovative Action description
The City of Utrecht is currently facing a full electricity grid, caused by rapid electrification of heating, a shift to electric transport, and an increase in renewable energy production. To tackle this challenge, the City of Utrecht will develop, test, and scale-up a replicable model for Collective Energy Districts in the development of the Merwede District, where all users cooperate to decrease peaks in energy demands.
We believe this project is innovative in several aspects:
Legal and organisational: The establishment of a public-private organisation with a fixed ‘grid limit’, that will be responsible for staying within this limit.
Societal: an incentive program for energy efficient and sustainable energy use by its users as a collective.
Technical: an integrated energy system with a DHC with geo- and aqua-thermal sources, daily energy storage with batteries and hot water buffers, smart- and bi-directional charging of EV’s reducing peak load, and an EMS for steering collective energy use.
We believe this project is innovative in several aspects:
Legal and organisational: The establishment of a public-private organisation with a fixed ‘grid limit’, that will be responsible for staying within this limit.
Societal: an incentive program for energy efficient and sustainable energy use by its users as a collective.
Technical: an integrated energy system with a DHC with geo- and aqua-thermal sources, daily energy storage with batteries and hot water buffers, smart- and bi-directional charging of EV’s reducing peak load, and an EMS for steering collective energy use.
This project is looking for
We are seeking Urban Authorities that recognize one or more of the following points:
• That want to learn and replicate solutions with the aim of integrating and diversifying renewable energy production, consumption and storage in their city energy systems.
• That face challenges with the capacity of their electricity grid and want to learn what type and how flexibility services in the built environment could alleviate these challenges.
• That want to experiment with flexible and collective energy management, e.g. in citizen / renewable energy communities in residential areas or energy hubs in business parks.
As a transfer city in a EUI project you will:
• Join the Project Partnership to follow and learn from the experimentation and interested in replicating the innovative solution
• Have an active role in the Transfer Work Package (compulsory outputs)
• Dedicated fixed budget (EUR 120 000 ERDF lump sum) and co-financing
• That want to learn and replicate solutions with the aim of integrating and diversifying renewable energy production, consumption and storage in their city energy systems.
• That face challenges with the capacity of their electricity grid and want to learn what type and how flexibility services in the built environment could alleviate these challenges.
• That want to experiment with flexible and collective energy management, e.g. in citizen / renewable energy communities in residential areas or energy hubs in business parks.
As a transfer city in a EUI project you will:
• Join the Project Partnership to follow and learn from the experimentation and interested in replicating the innovative solution
• Have an active role in the Transfer Work Package (compulsory outputs)
• Dedicated fixed budget (EUR 120 000 ERDF lump sum) and co-financing
City size
Towns (< 50,000 inhabitants)
Regional development level of the city
Less developed regions
Transition region
More developed region
Applying to
EUI-IA Third call for proposals - Energy transition
Launch of the Call in May 2024 - End of the call in October 2024
See more about the call for proposals
EUI - Innovative Actions Third Call for ProposalsAuthor
hester wolrich
Netherlands
European Funding Advisor
City of Utrecht
Looking for
