REEFLEX unlocking flexibility for a smarter energy future

Europe’s energy system is undergoing a profound transformation. The rapid rise of renewable energy, electrification of transport and heating and deployment of local storage are changing the way electricity flows across the grid. This creates new challenges for DSOs, which must balance intermittent supply and fluctuating demand while maintaining secure and reliable networks.

One of the most promising solutions is demand side flexibility, the ability of consumers to adapt their energy consumption in response to signals such as prices or grid needs. Flexibility turns homes, businesses and industrial facilities into active participants in the energy system, helping to integrate renewables, reduce congestion and keep electricity affordable.

The REEFLEX project, funded under Horizon Europe, aims to unlock this potential. Coordinated by CIRCE and involving 27 partners from 11 countries, the project runs from 2023 to 2027 and is developing cutting edge tools and platforms to make flexibility accessible to all.

REEFLEX methodology

REEFLEX is building its solutions on three pillars:

1. Interoperability and data exchange platform: enabling seamless communication and standardised data flows between consumers, aggregators and DSOs.
2. Optimal management and flexibility potential: using AI-driven services, predictive analytics, NILM techniques and innovative inverters to classify and optimise flexibility across residential, commercial, and industrial users.
3. Connection with flexibility markets: linking consumers to local, national, and cross-border markets through transparent, automated, and trusted mechanisms, including peer-to-peer and bilateral energy exchanges.

By combining these pillars, REEFLEX will lower market entry barriers, ensure transparency and trust, and provide a common operational model for flexibility markets. Technologies such as AI and distributed ledger technologies (blockchain) are central to this vision, ensuring efficiency, security and traceability in transactions.

Demo sites

REEFLEX’s solutions are being tested in four frontrunner demonstrators and three replication sites, covering a wide range of environments and use cases.

• Spain – non-residential offices, industrial facilities and social housing in Zaragoza and Asturias.
• Greece – residential apartments, retail stores and large commercial sites in Nea Moudania and Thessaloniki.
• Switzerland – residential and non-residential buildings, including an elderly care home, in the Motta district.
• Bulgaria – critical non-residential infrastructure such as data centres in Sofia and Montana.

Replication activities extend the impact of REEFLEX to Denmark (EV fleets and public buildings in Holbæk), Türkiye (EV manufacturer and offices) and Portugal (residential Living Lab).

Altogether, these pilots and replications test eight use cases, ranging from microgrids and aggregation tasks to EV fleet charging, long-term reservation of assets, and flexibility in buildings with fixed schedules.

Innovations

Key innovations under REEFLEX include:

• Second-life batteries for added flexibility and sustainability.
• Predictive flexibility potential to anticipate and plan consumer participation.
• Automation systems that simplify energy management.
• AI-based intelligence services for decision support.
• Blockchain solutions to ensure trust and transparency in markets.

By integrating these developments, REEFLEX is not just solving today’s grid challenges but laying the foundation for future flexibility services that are scalable, replicable and human-centric.

In conclusion, the REEFLEX project represents a step forward in Europe’s journey toward a flexible, digital, and sustainable energy system. By making demand side flexibility accessible to all types of consumers, from households to large industries, and by lowering barriers for SMEs and start-ups, REEFLEX supports both technological innovation and market transformation.

With its multinational consortium, diverse demonstrations and strong alignment with EU energy goals, REEFLEX is helping to build a smarter, greener, and more inclusive energy future.

To learn more about REEFLEX and its activities, visit the project’s official website.

About the author

Salima Ismayilzada is a Communication Expert at Smart Innovation Norway, specialising in strategic communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement across EU Horizon projects. With a strong focus on sustainability, she creates impactful narratives that connect research and innovation with society, making complex ideas accessible to diverse audiences.