ODEON partners are committed to co-developing technologies alongside users and stakeholders to achieve meaningful results. By involving these groups early and often in the development process, the project ensures that the technologies produced are aligned with real-world needs. To facilitate this engagement, ODEON is organizing a series of in-person Living Lab workshops across the five demonstration sites.
Between October 15-17, the first ODEON Living Lab workshops were held on the Aran Islands (Inis Óirr and Inis Mór), where one of the ODEON pilot sites is located, and in Athlone, central Ireland. The sessions engaged 24 participants, including local energy consumers, prosumers, and industry stakeholders, to discuss energy data orchestration and explore ODEON’s innovative solutions.
The workshops covered key themes aligned with ODEON’s objectives, such as energy independence, local economic opportunities, digital literacy, trust in technology, policy needs for sustainable energy sharing, and challenges in island-specific contexts.
This workshop aimed to understand the perspectives, expectations, and concerns of both local prosumers and energy value chain stakeholders. Key objectives included assessing opportunities, barriers, and solutions around energy data orchestration technologies and exploring how these can maximize value for communities. The workshop also sought to build a feedback loop to refine ODEON solutions and support the Irish demonstration site’s development. Additionally, it provided insights for project partners, helping them address specific stakeholder needs and informing future project strategies to better align with socio-economic contexts in Europe’s energy transition.
Insights & Feedback
The key findings highlighted by the participants were:
- Concerns Over Current and Future Energy Landscape: Rising energy prices, supply instability, and reliance on large companies were significant concerns. Participants expressed a strong desire for solutions that reduce these risks and increase community autonomy.
- Support for Sustainable Solutions: There was strong backing for renewable energy as a path to energy independence, sustainability, and convenience, with a call for increased flexibility from heritage agencies to facilitate the adoption of renewables on the islands.
- Economic and Employment Opportunities: The economic potential and job creation opportunities from renewable energy projects were recognized, with participants hoping for direct community benefits.
- Interest in Local Energy Sharing and Storage: Enhancing energy independence through local energy sharing and efficient storage systems was a key interest.
- Equity and Fairness Concerns: Issues such as unequal access to technological benefits and the impact of carbon taxes on low-income households were highlighted, particularly for vulnerable island communities.
- Cautious Optimism for Digital Tools: While there was openness towards digital solutions like the ODEON Innovative Data-driven and Intelligence-enabled Energy Services and Applications, participants emphasized the need for user-friendly designs and reliable, human-centered support, especially in remote areas.
- Insights from Value Chain Partners: Emphasis was placed on sector collaboration, supportive policies, increased storage capacity, and integrated planning to reduce peak loads. The need for greater public understanding to support informed decision-making was also noted.
Next Steps
Follow-up activities include recruiting participants for ongoing project involvement, analyzing feedback, and planning the next Living Lab. A comprehensive report will be shared with project partners to refine future strategies and implementations.
