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FORNY20-FORNY2020

KVAL: holIstic aND IntegrAted eNergy mAnagement toolbox for India

Alternative title: INDIANA

Awarded: NOK 0.50 mill.

H2020 E-LAND (‘Integrated multi-vector management system for Energy isLANDs’, 2018-2022) focused on achieving a sustainable & decarbonized local energy system by catering to solving the technological, societal and business challenges by developing a novel modular toolbox that incorporated a community-building tool, business model innovation tool and energy optimisation tools (for short-term and long-term planning). Through the E-LAND research project, SIN has worked with simulated pilot sites in India and initial communication activities with multiple potential users & customers from India have shown positive and immediate interest in the tools considering ambitious targets of reaching carbon neutrality. The INDIANA project aims to investigate local needs, customers’ technical readiness and market conditions to develop/adapt the toolbox and make it ready for the Indian market. This shall be done by performing market segmentation, financial viability evaluation, and developing communication strategy and pathways for market validation. The workshop and interviews were planned and executed with a focus on engaging Indian stakeholders. The strategic selection of Delhi (north) and Pune (west) regions aimed to capitalize on our established network with Indian companies. Through the workshop initial interests of stakeholders were successfully gauged, enabling the project to refine and narrow down target market segments. Following the workshop, interested companies were invited for in-depth interviews, strategically designed to delve into their energy-related challenges. These interviews not only facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the challenges but also catalyzed capturing of the interest of two potential customers. Subsequently, a thorough analysis was conducted to quantify the benefits of our offerings, resulting in the identification of tangible advantages. Impressively, one of the customers expressed willingness to serve as the beachhead customer in India. Plans are now underway to initiate piloting activities and demonstrate the real-life benefits of our solutions in a practical setting. This significant milestone marks a pivotal step forward in establishing a strong foothold in the Indian market. A pivotal result of the project is the discernment of crucial R&D gaps that demand attention in the subsequent phases. These gaps primarily center around the refinement of prediction accuracy through the integration of data from Indian customers. To bridge these gaps, upcoming research projects have been initiated, and several applications for funding have already been submitted. In the pursuit of commercializing E-LAND tools, the project owner is committed to offering specialized consultancy services in business model innovation and community engagement. Technology tools shall be exploited through collaboration with a startup, with plans in motion to secure funding from both government grants and private investors. The dissemination of high-level outcomes has been effectively executed through various social media platforms, targeting a wider target customer segments.

- Identified beachead customer: Tata Power with pilot site at Tata institute of social sciences - Guwahati (TISS). Tata Power & TISS have agreed to pilot E-LAND toolbox at their university campus located in Guwahati, India, subject to availability of funds (internally or externally). - Using E-LAND simulation tool potential energy cost saving and increase in renewable energy consumption was calculated for beachhead customer. The results were positive and thus the customer is willing to collaborate further. Currently draft agreement is being prepared for piloting. Additionally a Norwegian start-up has been engaged to install and commission E-LAND technology tools. Five business use case has been further identified for Indian market. Applications for further projects: - One application submitted to Innovation Norway (Environmental Grants) has been submitted for piloting in India. - One application submitted to Østfold Energi to provide research consultancy based upon E-LAND tools. - Two Horizon Europe applications have been submitted to further improve business model innovation tool. - At this stage no new employment has been created at SIN. But when piloting agreement is finalized with beach headcustomer, the Norwegian start-up plans to recruit four more employees to realize the pilot project.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020