<p>The Schoonschip community in the Netherlands, consisting of 30 floating houses with photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, and battery storage, has been connected to energy and flexibility markets since January. An innovative solution from the Fraunhofer Institute for Techno- and Economic Mathematics ITWM enables precise real-time forecasts for consumption, local production, and price optimization. This allows the community to trade electricity at optimal conditions on the Day-Ahead market. At the same time, a trader sells the 30 battery storage units on the Imbalance market, increasing flexibility and reducing energy costs for members.</p><p>The community is interconnected in a microgrid and also has access to the public power grid. The energy management system developed by Fraunhofer ITWM reduces peak grid consumption and thereby reduces grid usage fees. The researchers have enabled the community to connect to various markets, aiming to position it as a flexible virtual power plant capable of both supplying and absorbing energy.</p><p>They can take advantage of dynamic electricity prices on the Day-Ahead market and participate in the Imbalance market with their batteries. The vision is to make the technology accessible to private households and businesses, allowing them to participate in various energy and flexibility markets.</p>