The main objective of the project is to create a real and fully operational example of a Renewable Energy Valley on the island of Crete, combining cutting‑edge ICT technologies (Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Augmented Reality) with innovative social processes that enable joint participation in the design, development, and adoption of the project’s infrastructures. Emphasis will be placed on the transition from a centralized, carbon‑based energy model to a decentralized renewable‑energy and low‑emission framework that will meet the local community’s annual energy needs by harnessing multiple renewable sources (solar and wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass, biogas, hydrogen) for electricity supply, heating, and mobility.
The above strategic objective is further specified into seven measurable, realistic, and achievable sub‑objectives:
- To establish a living laboratory of a Renewable Energy Valley in Crete, using methodologies from the social and human sciences and innovative, multi‑level governance models, in order to make the project feasible in terms of its management, economic sustainability, and the policies to be implemented.
- To develop planning tools for addressing technical issues, protecting the environment, and documenting the social conditions that influence the creation of the Renewable Energy Valley.
- To develop tools for the secure, reliable, and participatory sharing of data, in accordance with the architectures of digital platforms for energy‑data exchange (Energy Data Space).
- To leverage cutting‑edge technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence), virtual representations (digital twins), flexible modeling services, and applications that utilize data from multiple sources, in order to ensure the optimal operation, proper management, and resilience of energy infrastructures, as well as the active participation of consumers in energy use (e.g., selecting the appropriate energy source, adjusting their consumption plan).
- To demonstrate and validate the energy solutions of the Valley by bringing together different decentralized energy sources (solar and wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass, biogas, hydrogen) in areas with varying climates, operating under the supervision and participation of diverse stakeholders (grid operators, energy communities, local and regional authorities, local businesses, local residents).
- To define, validate, and replicate robust business models across the entire value chain, with an emphasis on inclusive and economically feasible access to energy for all citizens.
- To facilitate the development of Renewable Energy Valleys across Europe by leveraging the project’s results and by building the necessary skills among stakeholders. A prerequisite for this is the effective dissemination of the acquired know‑how and the creation of synergies with other related European initiatives and projects.
