The GEMS project (Green Energy Management Systems) focuses on organizing energy more intelligently in business parks across Northwest Europe. In six pilot areas across five countries, partners are collaborating to develop and implement local energy management systems. By better aligning energy supply and demand, they help companies become more sustainable while simultaneously supporting innovation and economic growth. GEMS’ strength lies in its practical approach: start small, test in real-world environments, and scale what works.
Christine Lenz is a project manager at House of Energy e.V., an innovation cluster that brings together stakeholders from business, academia, and politics to advance the energy transition. We develop, coordinate, and support national and international projects that put innovative technologies and business models into practice. A particular focus is on connecting partners and transferring knowledge into practice to create tangible added value for all stakeholders.
The House of Energy serves as a Business Support Organization for Germany. It coordinates the activities of the German partners and promotes the project through public relations efforts. A particular focus is on connecting relevant stakeholders and disseminating project results beyond our network. This ensures that the solutions developed in the project not only benefit the pilot sites but can also be transferred to other regions and industrial parks in the long term.
Cooperation among German Partners
In Germany, the FiDT Technology and Start-up Center serves as a pilot site managed by the Kassel Region Economic Development Agency (WFG). The Technical University of Darmstadt is the scientific partner for technical development, while the technical implementation of the Energy Management System (EMS) at the FiDT site is carried out by the company Folivora Solutions.
The Federal Association of German Innovation, Technology, and Business Incubators (BVIZ) and the Competence Center for Energy Efficiency through Digitalization (KEDi) serve as associate partners on the advisory board and support the dissemination of the results.
“What I find particularly exciting about GEMS is its innovative approach to viewing energy management not in isolation, but at the level of entire business parks. Small and medium-sized enterprises based there in particular benefit from collaborative solutions that they often could not implement on their own.” In addition, the project combines technological innovation with concrete practical application at the European pilot sites. This combination makes GEMS a forward-looking project for the energy transition.
The goal of participating in the GEMS project is to increase energy efficiency in business parks and boost the use of renewable energy. “EMS in business parks offer many advantages, and we would like to convince as many operators as possible to follow the example of the solutions in GEMS. After all, intelligent control of energy consumption can also reduce the strain on the power grids. If we make the solutions developed in GEMS visible and transferable, further scalable and economically viable energy management models can emerge, thereby accelerating the transition to a climate-friendly energy supply.” A look at the Dutch pilot sites, which have already gained valuable experience with so-called smart energy hubs, is particularly inspiring. There, companies within business parks work closely together to jointly generate, use, and flexibly manage energy. These approaches impressively demonstrate how the intelligent interconnection of generation, consumption, and storage not only increases energy efficiency but also actively reduces grid bottlenecks. At the same time, the participating companies benefit from more stable energy costs and greater security of supply. Such field-tested concepts serve as models and show how scalable solutions can be implemented across Europe.
Collaboration within the international consortium highlights the importance of exchanging knowledge and experience. Each partner contributes specific expertise—whether in technical implementation, financing, or regulatory frameworks. “Particularly valuable is the understanding of how differently energy systems are organized across Europe and how solutions must be adapted accordingly. This shift in perspective helps us develop solutions that work in various contexts.”
Projects like GEMS demonstrate that investments in smart energy solutions are not only environmentally beneficial but also economically worthwhile and strengthen competitiveness in the long term.