What are local energy systems?

We want to help Sweden grow with small-scale, local electricity production from renewable sources.

På svenska

To create a more sustainable future, we need to utilize local, renewable energy sources and use energy in a smarter way. Concurrently, people show an increased interest in producing their own electricity, mainly via solar cells on their roofs. This is why we have kicked off a development project, where we’re trying to make Communities in Sweden become self-sufficient with renewable electricity. Simris is the first, and currently the only, project.

Moving towards a new Sweden

With the local energy system in Simris, we’re making a small countryside community self-sufficient using electricity from solar panels and wind. In the future, we’re hoping to use the same technology in other places – for example on a city block or a small island in the ocean. It is a complement to today’s energy systems, with their large, central power plants and long transport distances.

We’re testing a local energy system

In the Scanian village of Simris, we’re testing Sweden’s first local energy system with energy from the sun and wind.
See what we’re testing in Simris

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The benefits of local energy systems

Local energy systems open up new exciting possibilities to benefit from local electricity production from renewable energy sources..

Locally produced electricity raises the awareness around energy. This hopefully leads to a more efficient usage.

The electricity supply to small communities can become more stable – especially so where the lines today are long and exposed to weather.

By making transport distances shorter, the loss of energy can be reduced.

This is how it works

Production where it’s needed
The electricity can come from several small producers, such as solar cells on a house roof or a little wind turbine that a group of neighbours jointly have invested in. It all depends on local conditions.

All energy is useful
A smart control system ensures that the production is aligned with the consumers’ requirements and usage. Electricity that is produced during the day, when the production level is high and people are not at home, can, as an example, be sold to the neighbourhood kindergarten.

Batteries keep the level
Whenever there’s a production peak – for example, when it’s windy or a lot of sunshine – the electricity is stored in batteries. When it’s needed – at consumption peaks, when people are at home in the evening – they are discharged.

Conscious consumption
All users of the system can easily keep track of production in real-time online. We have created a visualization that shows how the used electricity was produced, the battery charge level and when the backup power generator operates.

Local energy systems – FAQ

Why do you invest in local energy systems?

Looking into the future, we believe people will be interested in getting together to solve their electricity needs with locally produced, preferably renewable, energy. This will happen on a larger scale in 10, 20 or perhaps 30 years. We see a business opportunity here, as we have a long and solid experience in constructing and operating facilities. But small micro grids have particular demands and partly different technology requirements. To be able to meet demand, we must learn to use the technology in the right way. We are one of the few companies that are able to do this.

Why has E.ON Energidistribution selected Simris?

We choose areas in our electricity grids where we believe a local energy system can work, based on how the electricity grid is built today. We also consider which customer categories that live in the area and any potential local advantages, such as collaborations or already existing renewable production. We’ve taken particular interest in islands and coastal areas, as those are suitable from a wind perspective.

Who funds the Simris project?

The project is supported by the EU innovation project Horizon2020 and their InterFlex programme. The project has cost approximately 35 million SEK, whereof E.ON has funded 50 percent.