SmartEn-UP – Smart and Open Energy Monitoring and Management

ETI is participating as a project partner in the European project SmartEn-UP – Smart and Open Energy Monitoring and Management: An Initiative for Digitally and Energy-Aware Green Communities, implemented under the Interreg Slovenia–Austria Programme 2021–2027. Running from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, the project focuses on developing smart approaches to energy monitoring and management while promoting energy efficiency, digitalisation and the sustainable development of local communities in the Slovenian-Austrian border region.

The project addresses the growing energy challenges faced by households, farms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in rural and mountainous areas. With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, heat pumps, air conditioning systems and other energy-intensive appliances, electricity demand continues to rise.

Further challenges arise from the growing generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, particularly small-scale solar power installations. Their operation can cause fluctuations in local distribution networks, where existing infrastructure is often limited and not designed to accommodate additional loads. As upgrading electricity networks involves significant costs, smart energy monitoring and consumption management are becoming increasingly important for reducing peak loads, controlling costs and improving competitiveness.

In Slovenia, another important factor is the revised network tariff system, which takes into account time-of-day and seasonal variations, as well as agreed and excess billing capacity. Due to its complexity, many users have yet to fully explore the opportunities for adjusting their electricity consumption and managing their energy costs more effectively.

The SmartEn-UP project therefore encourages the exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices between Slovenian and Austrian partners. The experience of Austrian regions, including Graz and Villach, plays an important role in this process, as advanced approaches to energy network management and active user participation are already being implemented in these areas.

Through its participation in the project, ETI contributes to joint efforts to develop more energy-efficient, digitally connected and sustainability-oriented communities. The project supports the long-term reduction of pressure on energy infrastructure, more efficient use of resources, and greater resilience and competitiveness in the cross-border region, while also contributing to the achievement of European climate and sustainability goals.