What is
Dedalus?
DEDALUS designs, develops, and demonstrates an SSH-driven, multi-value, energy carrier-agnostic demand response ecosystem for the optimisation and management of automated demand response in residential buildings.
DEDALUS addresses the growing need for flexibility in Europe’s energy system by developing and validating residential demand response solutions that place users at the centre. The project integrates cutting-edge ICT technologies with social and behavioural dimensions, alongside sharing-economy approaches and value-stacking governance and business models.
According to the latest available data, households account for around a quarter of final energy consumption in the European Union, confirming the central role of the residential sector in the energy transition. Residential demand continues to place significant pressure on the energy system, especially during seasonal and daily peaks, making flexibility increasingly important
In this context, residential demand response can help optimise consumption patterns, reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based peak generation, and support the integration of renewable energy into the electricity system. As Europe’s energy mix becomes more dynamic, greater demand-side flexibility is essential to improve system stability, efficiency, and resilience.
DEDALUS is structured around scientific, technical, and business objectives designed to make residential demand response more inclusive, effective, and scalable across Europe.
The project’s objectives include:
- developing a participatory, multi-value, and energy carrier-agnostic approach to residential demand response through social sciences and humanities – based tools and methodologies;
- advancing data-driven models, algorithms, and flexible assets, while improving end-user energy consumption models beyond traditional profiling approaches;
- delivering demand response algorithms, models, and ICT-based services for residential buildings, covering different energy carriers, stakeholders and stages of the value chain;
- demonstrating, validating, and replicating DEDALUS solutions through pilots in seven European countries, across diverse local contexts and stakeholder groups;
- exploring and validating new business models for the sharing economy and social innovation, combining the socialisation of infrastructure costs with more efficient demand response delivery across B2B and B2C settings;
- strengthening knowledge sharing at the EU level by expanding research at the intersection of energy, social sciences, and humanities, and by engaging communities, stakeholders, and other EU-funded projects.
Technological
The technological layer of the project involves enhancing Interoperability and trust layers of the envisioned Energy Data Space for cross-commodity and carrier-agnostic demand response, employing advanced AI algorithms for flexibility modeling and user-centric tools, as well as creating consumer-aware cross-sector, data-driven models for multi-carrier flexibility planning.
Demand response -ready smart residential asset types after 3 years
New aggregation models and data-driven services
Digital Twins to facilitate consumer activation and market participation
Technological
Business
The Business Layer provides a Business Sandbox which will include the design and validation of new hybrid business models, new market roles for new (or existing) stakeholders, and best practices, blueprints/roadmap drawing from a variety of legal community-level arrangements, and governance models at the building and district scale.
Increased piloted buildings' energy efficiency and reduced energy bills for residential consumers due to DR programs
Cost reduction of the overall energy system
Reduction of demand response transaction costs after 5 years
Business
Social
The Social layer provides the Social Science Framework, adopting a variety of SSH methodologies to examine consumer preferences and behavior, and to facilitate consumer activation in the context of residential demand response.
Increased share of energy consumption data by active consumers after 5 years
Increased share of aggregated flexibility mobilized by piloted assets
Carbon emission reduction in the areas of the 7 pilots
Social
Partners
Sister Projects
DigiBUILD
The EU-funded DigiBUILD project develops AI-driven digital services that use high-quality data and metadata to support smarter building planning, design, construction, and energy-efficient operation at both the building and district level.
Its solutions are demonstrated and validated across 9 pilots and 10 real-life use cases in several European countries.
BuildON
The EU-funded BuildON project develops intelligent digital services to support the decarbonisation and digitalisation of buildings, improving energy performance through monitoring, assessment, prediction and optimisation technologies.
Its solutions aim to be efficient, cost-effective and replicable, benefiting occupants, building owners and the wider energy system.
PROBONO
The EU-funded PROBONO project develops people-centred, sustainable construction solutions to support zero-carbon and energy-positive Green Building Neighbourhoods.
By combining digital technologies with social innovation, the project demonstrates scalable approaches that prioritise people, sustainability and long-term societal value.
TwinEU
The EU-funded TwinEU project develops an interoperable ecosystem of digital twin solutions to support Europe’s energy transition and strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructure.
By combining data exchange, advanced modelling and AI tools, the project enables system operators to better coordinate, test and optimise energy system operations.
MODERATE
MODERATE aims to connect data providers with other building stakeholders by improving interoperability between datasets, by making use of data from different providers and aims to develop services based on data analytics that can transform raw data into knowledge for end-users.
DR-RISE
The EU-funded DR-RISE project develops innovative demand response solutions to improve energy efficiency and support the active participation of households in the energy system.
By combining digital tools and user-centred approaches, the project demonstrates how residential flexibility can benefit both consumers and the wider energy system.
FORTESIE
The EU-funded FORTESIE project develops innovative renovation technologies and digital tools to accelerate deep energy renovations in public and private buildings.
Through demonstration pilots and the FORTESIE Marketplace, the project supports scalable solutions to improve building energy performance, reduce emissions and advance a more sustainable built environment.
