Digital technologies key to integrate and decarbonise energy and mobility

A ‘digital spine’ and generative AI form the basis of the digital technologies for energy and mobility integration in Europe, a report from Fraunhofer FIT indicates.

The study, which was supported by the European Commission’s DG Connect, points to the need for significant investments to interconnect the energy sector with mobility as well as with industry, building and agriculture to meet Europe’s 2050 net zero objectives.

However, there is an annual infrastructure investment gap amounting to over €406 billion ($442 billion), which poses a significant challenge.

The ‘digital spine’ is a concept intended to address this investment gap by leveraging advanced digital technologies, including decentralised intelligence across sectors to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the existing infrastructures.

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Thus for example this digital layer can enable the optimal use of renewable energy sources across sectors, reducing the need for those physical infrastructure investments.

The digital spine is also aimed at improving communication and standardisation of digital infrastructures, particularly at the interfaces of different sectors where innovative cross-sectoral use cases can be enabled.

Generative AI

Generative AI is expected to play a key role in the digital spine, with the potential in the energy area to optimise the smart grid and intelligently integrate emerging infrastructures such as renewable energy sources, smart metering, EV charging and smart buildings.

For example, GenAI could predict energy production from renewable sources by analysing vast amounts of data, including historical usage, weather patterns and demographics.

By coordinating EV charging times to avoid peak demand periods, GenAI could help balance the load on the grid and prevent overloads.

Within smart buildings, GenAI could automate energy-efficient practices, such as adjusting heating, ventilation, and lighting based on occupancy and external conditions.

Building blocks for integrating energy and mobility

With a focus on integrating energy and mobility, the report suggests four key ‘building blocks’ that leverage digital technologies to implement cross-sectoral use cases essential for the green and digital transformation.

These are:

• Enable bidirectional charging by digital identity management, with the creation of digital identities for EVs to ensure user-centric authentication, secure data exchange and real-time coordination of charging services across networks and service providers.
• Establish cross-border bidirectional EV charging infrastructure, with the interconnection of national and sectoral registries through interoperable interfaces to facilitate seamless data exchange.
• Connect bidirectional charging with smart energy applications to enable users to optimise their energy usage, switch between self-supply and grid services and participate in local energy trading.
• Build cross-sector connections to close digital infrastructure gaps with the development of a holistic digital infrastructure that supports the integration of the various sector activities.

The EU has stated that to accelerate the adoption of these building blocks, immediate action at the European level is required.

Channelling infrastructure investments towards initiatives that support the development of a cross-sectoral digital spine is essential.

Policymakers should define key performance indicators to monitor the adoption of digital infrastructures and foster enhanced collaboration between public and private institutions.

Continued research and development also is necessary to refine and expand digital solutions for sustainable outcomes.