The project, titled REFLEX-REC, has been awarded €680,000 in funding under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges 2026 programme, part of Horizon Europe.
Coordinated by Dr Reihaneh Aghamolaei, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering alongside DCU co-principal investigator Dr Ali Intizar, Associate Professor in the School of Electronic Engineering, the 48-month initiative brings together an international consortium of 11 academic and industry partners across seven European countries.
Integrated energy solutions
As Europe transitions towards low-carbon energy, Renewable Energy Communities play a crucial role in empowering local consumers and decentralising energy generation. However, coordinating multiple energy sources reliably remains a complex challenge.
REFLEX-REC addresses this issue by developing approaches to make energy communities more resilient, flexible, and inclusive. The project will examine how electricity, heating, and hydrogen systems can be seamlessly integrated, planned, and managed. Using advanced digital modelling, artificial intelligence, optimisation, and game-theoretic decision-making, the platform will support fair, efficient, and reliable local energy management.
Project Coordinator, Dr Reihaneh Aghamolaei said:
"I am honoured to coordinate this ambitious international project. REFLEX-REC will develop an innovative decision-support platform to support the effective planning, operation, and coordination of integrated electricity, thermal, and hydrogen energy systems.
“I am very grateful to everyone who contributed to this success, and I look forward to working with our partners to deliver the research, training, knowledge exchange and long-term impact envisioned through REFLEX-REC.”
International Collaboration
As an MSCA Staff Exchanges project, REFLEX-REC emphasises international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility. Over the four-year timeline, researchers and industry specialists will exchange placements across partner institutions to share expertise, develop new skills, and form long-term collaborative networks.
The multidisciplinary project brings together a team of international experts, including DCU’s Dr Ali Intizar and researchers from Ireland, the UK, France, Greece, Belgium, Denmark and Italy. By combining expertise in energy engineering, AI, digital modelling, and sustainability, the project will equip the next generation of researchers with the tools needed to lead Europe’s green energy transition.
