An autonomous and continuous R&D activity is a high priority for Efacec Automation. Over the last years, Efacec took part in several national and European R&D projects. On November 30, European SmartC2Net project was successfully concluded.

Within SmartC2Net, Efacec Automation led and coordinated activities in two project work-packages: "Adaptive Grid Controls" and "Dissemination & Exploitation". Several Automation products were integrated within the project. In the scope of cooperation and knowledge exchange with project partners, laboratories at Aalborg University in Denmark have installed one UC 500, one G Smart and two M Box, and research institution FTW in Austria integrated one G Smart and two M Box. On top of Automation platforms new advanced functionalities were developed, namely distributed control functionalities for MV or LV and demand response system that will be embedded in the company products portfolio.

The SmartC2Net project has started in December 2012. During this period, seven project partners (companies, research institutes and universities from six European countries) developed, implemented and validated robust solutions that enable smart grid operation on top of heterogeneous off-the-shelf communication infrastructures with varying properties.

The SmartC2Net has developed a set of control approaches for the energy distribution system and analysed their control behaviour when they operate on different communication technologies subject to malicious and accidental faults. Adaptive mechanisms operating on different layers of the smart grid solutions were developed and analysed in the scenario of an extrapolated reference grid via a combination of simulation experiments, mathematical models, and actual deployments in lab testbeds. The effectiveness of the approaches developed in the project have been validated in four representative use-cases of the active operation of distributed energy resources connected to medium and low voltage distribution networks.

SmartC2Net has integrated its final convention within 2015 edition of European Utility Week, with a dedicated presentation session and an exhibition with a booth. The 2015 EUW took place in Vienna, Austria, on November 3-5.

On September 25, the Monitor BT project Consortium - Efacec and INOV - organized a closing session workshop, together with EDP Distribuição, the official partner.

The event took place at EDP Distribuição facilities in Andrinos, Leiria. During this session, Efacec has made the project presentation and a demonstration of the results.

Moreover, the EDP Distribuição CEO, Mr. Joao Torres, made a final intervention, highlighting the importance of LV grid automation, as designed and implemented within Monitor BT, in line with other smart grids achievements, a goal that EDP Distribuição has defined towards its deployment.

The broad audience had the participation of representatives from EDP Distribuição, EEM - Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira, ANI - National Innovation Agency, INESC TEC, IST - Instituto Superior Técnico, EnergyIn - Competitiveness and Technology Cluster for Energy, Batalha Municipality, INOV, and Efacec.

For more about the project, please visit the website http://www.monitor-bt.com/