Building the future of energy monitoring: The ECLIPSE user app

As part of the ECLIPSE project, partner and coordinator ETRA is developing an innovative end-user application that puts the consumer at the heart of Europe’s energy transition.

Designed to connect with the Common European Reference Framework (CERF), the ECLIPSE app aims to provide consumers with the tools they need to monitor, understand and optimise their energy usage, while also supporting grid operators with vital flexibility services.

The ECLIPSE app will be demonstrated in several pilot sites and serves two main purposes. First, it acts as a model for technology providers to integrate their apps into the ECLIPSE CERF. Second, it provides full energy monitoring and flexibility functionalities for pilot sites where no app currently exists or where integration capacity is limited.

From real-world needs to prototype development

The functionalities of the ECLIPSE user app are the result of an extensive analysis of user needs. By mapping user requirements and analysing diverse use cases across Europe, ETRA was able to identify key features that directly benefit consumers.

These include:
• User registration and profile management.
• Registration of supply points and appliances.
• Real-time monitoring of energy consumption and production.
• Disaggregated consumption via non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM).
• Energy cost calculations based on time-of-use tariffs.
• Personalised energy saving tips and environmental notifications.
• Demand response alerts and monitoring user participation.
• Feedback mechanisms and incentive calculations.

This user-focused functionality ensures the app goes beyond basic monitoring, delivering actionable insights, real-time guidance, and economic benefits.

The initial version of the app is already taking shape, and over the second year of the project it will be further refined and tested. Its user-friendly design allows people to easily sign up, manage their energy profile and explore a range of advanced features.

Upon registration, users provide basic credentials and link their energy supply point through a unique code. From here, the app offers several navigational tabs: Home, Monitoring, Flexibility and Tips. In the Home section, users can add or manage supply points, view consumption widgets and register appliances with individual power ratings.

The monitoring tab provides detailed consumption data, both aggregated and disaggregated, tailored to the data source, whether TSO or DSO. Users can explore real-time statistics, load curves or grid stability indicators, depending on their region.

In the flexibility section, users can set consumption thresholds for alerts, modify contracted power and report grid issues.

The tips section delivers general and personalised advice on energy efficiency, while a top menu allows easy access to notifications and user preferences.

From research to real-world testing

The app is the result of extensive market research, including a detailed review of more than 20 energy monitoring applications currently available across the EU. This benchmarking exercise made it possible to pinpoint the features users value most, as well as the areas where existing solutions fall short.

With these insights, the ECLIPSE team has created an app that responds to today’s market needs while introducing innovative elements for the future.

Deployment is planned at three pilot sites in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece, where the app will be the main tool for testing energy saving features and gathering feedback from consumers. If the trials prove successful and technically viable, additional sites may join.

These pilots will play a key role in assessing the app’s performance under real-life conditions. The data collected will inform improvements to the user interface, strengthen backend integration, and enhance the overall experience.

To better understand user needs and potential barriers, the project ran a public survey that received nearly 300 responses. Participants shared their experiences with energy monitoring apps, the features they find most useful and the obstacles that limit adoption.

The feedback is already shaping the next development steps, ensuring that the final version of the app is both practical and relevant to its users.

What’s next: Connecting consumers to the energy transition

In the coming months, work will focus on refining the prototype, incorporating lessons from pilot testing and ensuring smooth interoperability with the CERF. With its ability to provide real-time monitoring, optimise energy use and enable demand response, the app will directly support both grid flexibility and consumer empowerment.

This approach reflects ECLIPSE’s broader ambition: turning European consumers from passive energy users into active players in the clean energy transition.

A demonstration video of the first version of the app is now available, offering a guided tour through its main features, from consumption monitoring and appliance registration to personalized tips and flexibility tools. This preview shows how ECLIPSE is working to bring the benefits of the energy transition directly to people’s homes.

Visit: https://eclipse-digital.eu
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About the authors

Maria Provecho is Communication Manager for EU Projects at ETRA I+D. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Marketing and Master’s in Social Media Management. She is currently leading the communication strategy and actions for several EU-funded projects coordinated by ETRA, including OPENTUNITY and ECLIPSE.

Lola Alacreu is a senior project manager in ETRA I+D, coordinating and participating in several Horizon Europe and H2020 projects including ECLIPSE, X-FLEX and NOBELGRID. She is an Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and also has worked as an external expert for the European Commission.