DIGITAL AGENDA PROJECTS
'Community-based Virtual Power Plant (cVPP)'

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COPOWER  =  'Community-based Virtual Power Plant (cVPP)'
Demonstrate how communities can generate their own energy needs through a system of collective power
Funding Programme Logo
Project Status: Live Project
Project Leader: Leah Ryan
EU Programme: Northern Periphery and Arctic (2021 - 2027)
Project Budget:  €1,498,935
Start Date:  Jun, 2023
Finish Date:  May, 2026
Project Website:  https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/copower/home/
The aim of the project is to:

The aim is to develop a community-based Virtual Power Plant (cVPP) and a viable business model to support it in 5 communities of Finland, Iceland, Ireland and Faroe Islands.

Specific objectives are to:
  • The overall objective is to use transnational cooperation to exploit information technologies to link multiple small energy systems and operate them in coordination like a utility-scale power station to balance electricity demand and production.
Donegal, Ireland
ERNACT Network   (Lead Partner)
Overall project manager, communications and administration and reporting.

Caitriona Strain
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Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
CENTRIA University of Applied Science   (Partner)
Centria will provide expertise in biogas production ecosystems combined with other renewable energy (RE) solutions.

Fabian Sander
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Donegal, Ireland
Donegal County Council   (Partner)
Donegal County Council will actively contribute to all project activities across all 3 WPs.

Paul Earley
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Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands
Nolsoy Energy Ltd   (Partner)
Nolsoy will take part in the joint development of all pilot actions and implement/test a DER pilot in their own region where heating energy is produced, stored, and distributed to local households.

Bjarti Thomsen
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Iceland, Iceland
University of Iceland   (Partner)
The University of Iceland will actively contribute to all project activities across all 3 WPs. This includes the co-design and development of the cVPP in WP1.

Rúnar Unnþórsson
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Oulo, Finland
University of Oulu   (Partner)
The University of Oulu will contribute to all 3 WPs, including co-design/development of the cVPP and verification of its estimate calculations in practice.

Markku Kananen
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Using information technologies to link multiple small energy systems and operate them in coordination like a utility-scale power station to balance electricity demand and production. This will demonstrate how communities can generate their own energy needs through a system of collective power that increases participation and control in local areas. It also raises awareness of how consumers and producers can work together to generate their own local energy requirements.
Core ERNACT regions
Newfoundland & Labrador
Canada
South Ostrobothnia
Finland
Nièvre
France
Upper Franconia
Germany
Donegal
Ireland
Gaeltacht
Ireland
West Romania
Romania
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Cantabria
Spain
Västernorrland
Sweden
Derry & Strabane
United Kingdom