Project Girona

Smart Local Energy Systems integrate renewable energy with advanced technology to generate, store, and export energy at the local level. This system offers a powerful and replicable solution to rapidly decarbonise homes and businesses in a localised area, while offering the wider benefits of a more efficient, flexible, secure, and affordable energy system. 

Modelled on the principles of SLES, Project Girona was a collaborative initiative aiming to demonstrate these benefits in practice. The project offered the 60 participants the installation of solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage to self-generate and store renewable energy. 

Joulen’s AI-driven software platform, PARIS, optimised the generation, distribution, and consumption of this energy to maximise the value of each unit generated. This smart system employs the same advanced technology found in financial trading software to make decisions on when to store, use, and release energy. This transformed energy access and usage and empowered participants with control over their energy needs, leading to significant cost savings and energy emission reductions. 

This system offered the additional benefit of exporting excess clean generation back to the grid. This provided benefits beyond those participating — enabling other properties to benefit from clean energy, reducing grid stress, and avoiding the need for costly local infrastructure upgrades. 

Launched in March 2020 and concluding in May 2022, Project Girona set out to achieve multiple aims. These included reducing energy emissions and associated air pollution, reducing energy bills and fuel poverty, and demonstrating the business case for revolutionising smart, clean energy solutions.

The project began with a comprehensive assessment of each participating property to determine their specific energy needs. Next, solar PV and sonnenBatterie10 (SB10) batteries were installed in 60 commercial and residential properties as the clean generation and storage technologies. 

The project’s innovation lay in its data-driven approach. Joulen’s sophisticated energy management software PARIS monitored and forecasted the participants’ generation and consumption of energy, enabling optimisation of energy flows in real-time. Our AI-powered system optimised the energy and cost efficiencies of Project Girona’s renewable assets, maximising the value of these investments and the benefits they could bring.

Project Girona delivered significant benefits to participants. By integrating and optimising smart, clean energy solutions, participants achieved up to 70% energy cost savings during peak periods and reduced carbon emissions. Additionally, an app allowed participants to track their energy consumption and savings in real-time, enhancing their customer engagement and experience. The solar panels and battery storage systems were also gifted after the project concluded, ensuring participants continued to benefit from reduced energy costs and increased autonomy. 

Beyond individual cost savings, Project Girona made a significant impact on the wider energy network by exporting over 31,340 kWh of surplus energy to the grid — enough to power 10 homes for a year. This enhanced grid stability and demonstrated the system’s value in supporting broader energy services. The increased uptake in clean energy generation also reduced CO₂ emissions by 40.02 kg, equivalent to removing 19 cars from the road, thereby advancing decarbonisation efforts and reducing atmospheric pollutants. The project also contributed to new green employment opportunities, with seven permanent jobs created within one of the consortium companies.

Through these wide-reaching benefits, Project Girona provided a blueprint for the future of smart, clean, localised systems. This system is attractive to users, who benefit from financial savings and health improvements, and investors, who gain from stable long-term revenue returns. It also offers an effective, scaleable solution for clean technology industries and stakeholders aiming to capitalise on the innovative solutions available within the growing green economy.

The participants in Project Girona involved the residents of 60 properties in Coleraine, including businesses, residential homes, and charities. The initiative, funded in part by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), was supported by Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE) and Invest Northern Ireland. 

Joulen provides energy optimisation in Great Britain and Ireland, and will be launching soon in Spain, Italy, and the United States. For more Information, click here.