FOCUS:LFM – From Open Coexistence to Unified Systems for Local Flexibility Management

FOCUS:LFM addresses a critical challenge of the energy transition: harnessing the large, yet largely untapped, potential of decentralised demand-side flexibility. As renewable energy production grows and the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, integrating flexible assets – from household devices to medium-voltage systems – is essential for maintaining secure, efficient, and climate-neutral energy supply.

The flagship project develops a modular, open-source aggregator middleware capable of coordinating a wide variety of distributed assets. This includes technologies such as electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, batteries, and smart appliances. The platform is built on widely adopted communication protocols — particularly OpenADR 3.1 and MQTT 5 — and provides standardised, machine-readable APIs to enable easy integration and interoperability across systems and technologies.

FOCUS:LFM focuses on enabling local, grid-supportive flexibility management. It empowers distribution system operators (DSOs) to monitor, request, and validate flexibility activation from decentralised sources. The middleware aligns with the forthcoming EU Network Code on Demand Response and supports national regulatory efforts such as Austria’s planned Common Flexibility Platform under the Electricity Industry Act (ElWG).

The project follows an agile R&D approach, combining stakeholder-driven requirements engineering, rapid prototyping, full-stack software development, and multi-level validation. The middleware is tested in grid simulations, lab trials, and real-world field demonstrations that reflect diverse environments—from individual households to community-scale systems and medium-voltage applications. These demonstrations involve both direct asset control and the integration of existing aggregation backends.

FOCUS:LFM also explores the broader economic and societal implications of local flexibility activation. It examines how technical aggregation of small-scale assets can support system efficiency, reduce grid expansion needs, and open new value streams for energy communities, technology providers, and service companies. Inclusive co-creation processes and open-source design principles ensure that the resulting tools are accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including SMEs and civic actors.

The project delivers an open-source software stack with accompanying documentation, public APIs, and governance mechanisms to support long-term usability and replicability. A targeted outreach and accelerator programme will support industry adoption and integration into commercial offerings. In doing so, FOCUS:LFM lays the foundation for a distributed, flexible, and digitally integrated energy system that is resilient, inclusive, and fit for climate neutrality.

Responsibilities of Salzburg Research

• Contributions to a comprehensive requirements analysis and coordination of all related project activities
• Product owner within the agile project management
• ICT Architecture development, integration, validation
• Preparation and implementation of the open-source launch of the platform and build up of a developer community