Electric mobility is accelerating across Europe, reshaping demand at the grid’s edge, with Electric Vehicles (EVs), and specifically electric cars, already accounting for 15.6% of new EU registrations. In parallel, buildings account for ~40% of all energy consumed in the EU, with approximately half of EU gas consumption being attributed to them, further enforcing the need for optimizing an already stressed electricity grid before expanding the EV charging infrastructure. Looking ahead, Europe’s electricity demand from EV charging alone is projected to rise from 9 TWh (2021) to 165 TWh by 2030, accounting for ~6% of total EU electricity consumption, an increase that local networks and grid operators must plan and operate for with precision. Hence, AIMS targets specific challenges that grid operators face:

• Challenge #1 – Microgrid sizing under uncertainty: Determine the optimal configuration and capacities of microgrid components (i.e., generation, storage, and EV charging) when demand, renewable output, and prices have significant uncertainty due to their dynamic nature, and when investment decisions must balance Capital Expenditures (CAPEX), Operational Expenditures (OPEX), and grid stability.
• Challenge #2 – Operational coordination of flexibility: Real-time adjustment of flexible assets, such as building loads, EV charging, and batteries, so that energy costs are minimized without violating comfort or network constraints.
• Challenge #3 – End-to-end decision support: A holistic operator-centric tool that unifies long-term design exploration with short-term operational support is needed, leveraging a digital twin for year-round evaluation and validating performance with real measurements so simulated gains translate to field impact.