Exploring power peak shaving as an enabler for future resilient neighbourhoods
Aim of the Open Innovation Call
For decades the focus in energy system transformation has been on lowering the demand for energy and increasing the energy efficiency performance. While this is extremely important, the latest years lack of power capacity in the Malmö region in Sweden has been an eye-opener for the importance of also actively looking into solutions that can shave peak electricity demands.
In cities or neighbourhoods with inflexible or insufficient power grid and lack of enough locally produced energy sources, power peaks can have unwanted effects for people living and companies operating there. The aim of this call was therefore to identify various ways to shave power peaks at a local city district level.
OUTCOMES OF THE OPEN INNOVATION CALL
Background
Challenges of energy efficiency and power peaks is an exceptionally live issue. It has been examined over the years in different context and there are several solutions that can improve the overall running of a well-functioning grid, but some of these solutions involve huge investments in new infrastructure and grid design within the given area to secure a stable energy supply.
To be able to have sustainable growth in Malmö and the surrounding regions, it is of high importance that new city districts are planned to meet challenges of today and tomorrow. The following players have joined to support this open innovation call:
- Smart Cities Accelerator (SCA) is a project-based collaboration in the Øresund Region involving cities, universities and the private sector. The project facilitates, creates and accelerates sustainable solutions for future cities and societies with a focus on energy optimization and the shift towards renewable energy sources. Smart Cities Accelerator run between 2016 and 2020 with funding from its partners and Interreg Øresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak.
- City of Malmö is a municipality in Scania, the southernmost Swedish province. Malmö is a natural hub for people and cultures from worldwide; the city’s inhabitants come from around 170 countries and speak some 150 different languages. The City of Malmö is one of the largest employers in Skåne and its staff work every day to shape Malmö’s present and future.
- E.ON is a private energy company operating in several European countries. The Swedish headquarter is in Malmö, where E.ON is both the distribution grid operator as well as a provider of a wide range of energy solutions.
Description of the Open Innovation Call
This call is designed as an open call, as Open Innovation has the potential to accelerate a city’s transition to total sustainability.
Due to the complex nature of climate and sustainability challenges within cities and regions, solutions represent an area of innovation in which there is remarkable value to be gained from establishing synergies and collaboration between stakeholders.
Benefits of Open Innovation identified from the city’s – and the public as well as the private sector’s – perspective is cost-reduction, greater citizen involvement and improved services and quality of life. Furthermore, it can increase the speed at which solutions with a positive climate impact reach the market, access wider sections of the market and do so more efficiently than would otherwise be possible.
Instead of the starting point for innovation being business-led interests, it is the city and its demand for new kind of solutions that determines when and why innovation begins.
How the competition works
The competition is an Open Innovation Process open for everyone who wants to share their ideas on how to meet the challenge of power peaks in future resilient neighbourhoods in accordance with the conditions of this call. The process runs in the following steps according to the timeline described further down.
All proposals submitted are judged in accordance with the judging criteria (see below). Up to five (5) proposals are selected for a final pitch event on the Open Innovation Day. The process timeline is the following:
| Release of call | 9 October 2019 |
| Webinar | 29 October 2019 |
| Deadline for submissions | 18 November 2019, 12:00 noon CET |
| Presentation of finalists | 25 November 2019 |
| Open Innovation Day | 5 December 2019 |
A webinar took place on 29 October 2019. Listen to the recorded webinar and see the Q&As through the below links.
Subsequently, a maximum of five (5) selected finalists will be invited to a final pitch event (Open Innovation Day) in Malmö, Sweden, on 5 December 2019. Travel costs and accommodation for up to two members per selected finalist/team will be reimbursed by EIT Climate-KIC in accordance with the terms and conditions provided. The winning proposal will receive advice and assistance by EIT Climate-KIC on how best to progress with turning their idea into reality.
Who can participate?
All relevant ideas will be taken into consideration. There are no requirements as to how far the idea/proposal/product has been developed, i.e. also ideas taking some areas of the general challenges into consideration are welcome, as the call is looking for multiple ways to deal with the overall aim mentioned in the call text. Therefore, as part of the competition, the idea could be matured towards the finals and beyond.
Groups/consortia with a constellation of competencies are expected to be most successful in this call. This, however, is in no way a requirement for participation. The competition is open to everyone regardless of back-ground, experience, location or other factors. Applicants can participate alone or in groups, be private individuals or part of a company, organization, institution or through any kind of joint effort
What’s in it for the contestants/finalists and the winner?
The finalists will have the opportunity to present their idea at Open Innovation Day held in Malmö, Sweden, on 5 December 2019. At this Open Innovation Day an expert jury will guide and assist the finalist for a final co-creation of the ideas and choose a winner for the Open Innovation Call.
As a contestant, you will receive customized consultancy support, if you are chosen as a finalist for the Open Innovation Day following the Open Innovation Call. Specialists will be at your assistance to prepare the idea/proposal for the finals. Furthermore, validation and/or implementation of the proposal will be the utmost aim for both the organizing partners as well as the contestants, alas this cannot be promised beforehand.
Participation may provide opportunities to engage with relevant stakeholders and potential customers and expand networks and knowledge about the theme at hand. There are plenty of cities and regions around Eu-rope in need of this kind of solutions. Hence, a potentially large market for the innovations and several possible co-partners or actors who wants to continue and perhaps further develop the design and the work done so far. Thus, the exposure for the finalists is also of great value.
The winner of this competition will be offered a prize that is closely connected to E.ON Agile. The Agile project started off in Germany 2013 as an accelerator for start-ups. Investments where done in start-ups that developed smart products, services or business models, in order to solve the big and small environmental challenges in the world. By using the knowledge from the energy sector E.ON helped bring new ideas to life. In 2016 Agile Nordic was started to foster innovation up north. In total, the Agile project has accelerated over 167 start-ups up until today.
Agile accelerator now takes the next step into being Agile Growth, where programs and pilot tests are tailored specifically for each business. Focus for E.ON now is on finding collaborations, either as an investor, as a client or a partner.
The prize will be customized to fit the winning idea; the state of the invention, the fit to E.ON’s interest and business, the fit to City of Malmö’s ambitions, and the winners point of interest. For early stage ideas we will compile a package that may include a selection of the points below, that all have been fundamental in the Agile Accelerator process:
- Solution design
- Prototyping
- Business and customer development
- Different business models
- Sales and marketing
- How to scale and grow
- Knowledge about the energy sector, contacts within the company and coaching from experts within specific fields
For more developed ideas that already has taken a few steps into realization, E.ON can offer testing directly connected to our business and operations if the idea is in line with E.ON’s development strategy.
Read more about Agile here: https://www.eon.se/agile.
Open Innovation Call
Take the challenge to transform energy production, consumption and distribution in the Malmö region.
Competition Manual and Submission Form
Competition Manual
The competition manual contains further information about:
- Competition objectives
- Specifications and criteria
- Important dates
- IPR and legal details
- The structure of the process and how it will be managed
- The competition partners
We highly recommend that you read the competition manual carefully before submitting a solution.
All solutions must be presented via the submission form linked below. Submissions that are not sent via this route will not be considered.