SkIES – Scalable Integration of Energy Sharing

The communal use of energy across building boundaries opens up new perspectives for an efficient energy system. Under the term energy sharing, we refer to approaches in which several actors – such as households, energy communities or municipalities – jointly use and distribute locally generated energy. This allows regional generation to be aligned more closely with regional consumption – which may increase public acceptance and help ease the burden on the overall system.

Motivation

To implement energy-sharing approaches in Germany and integrate them into existing structures, robust scientific foundations, well-prepared technical concepts and clear legal frameworks are essential.

So far, only a few pilot initiatives exist, and their findings cannot easily be transferred to other regions or applications. In the project SkIES – Scalable Integration of Energy Sharing, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and PtJ, we investigate these requirements and the associated questions.

Together, we explore and test how energy sharing can be developed at scale in Germany, and whether there are opportunities to enhance not only public acceptance but also the grid and system benefits of energy sharing.

Objectives

SkIES aims to develop energy sharing as a concept that can be integrated across different contexts, enabling its comprehensive implementation in Germany. The project examines which technical and economic conditions are required, which additional legal provisions need to be established and how communal energy use could impact grid stability and system efficiency.

Use cases identified as relevant by the project consortium will be analysed and implemented. To ensure that the solutions developed can be applied beyond the SkIES pilot sites, we prepare blueprints and guidelines for the broad, interoperable rollout of energy sharing, helping to bridge the gap between research and practical application.

Project structure

SkIES is organised into three field-trial clusters and three additional work packages, which together form a holistic picture of energy sharing:

Cluster 1: Housing sector

This cluster examines communal energy use in multi-unit buildings and neighbourhood structures. It investigates how electricity from photovoltaic systems can be shared and billed. The focus lies on technical, organisational and regulatory aspects as well as the transferability to different building types.

Cluster 2: Cooperatives & citizen participation

Here we explore how communal energy use could be organised by energy cooperatives and citizen groups. The cluster analyses how participation models must be designed to be economically viable while ensuring broad societal involvement.

On a technical level, particular attention is given to accounting for energy flows within virtual balancing groups.

Cluster 3: Flexibility & System

This cluster looks at energy sharing from a systemic perspective. It assesses the potential contribution of communal energy use to grid stability and system efficiency, with a focus on the interactions between local energy communities and the wider energy system.

Work Package 1: Accompanying Research

This work package consolidates scientific analyses on the system integration and scalability of energy sharing. It examines the potential effects of communal energy use on grid stability, load flows and system benefits and develops methods for evaluating and transferring the findings from the field trials.

Work Package 2: Communication & Regulation

This package focuses on societal, communicative and regulatory issues. It investigates which legal frameworks may need to be adapted and how energy sharing could be embedded within existing market mechanisms. It also develops communication strategies to clearly explain the opportunities and potential of energy sharing.

Work Package 3: PPAs & Industry

This work package analyses the role of industrial actors and power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the context of communal energy use. It explores how PPAs could serve as a foundation for energy-sharing models and identifies opportunities for flexible, system-supportive industrial applications.

Guidance and Outputs

Throughout the project, practical guidance documents will be developed to support stakeholders from various sectors – from the housing industry to manufacturing.

In addition, scientific publications, white papers and position papers will summarise key insights on technology, regulation and system integration. Open datasets and methodological foundations will be made freely accessible upon completion of the project.

Funding

The project is funded by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) (funding code: 03EI6142A). The project management agency for the three-year research project is Projektträger Jülich (PtJ).