In order to make the Alps a climate-neutral region, the monitoring of energy data is an essential part. In the CERVINO project, we are therefore developing a platform that visualizes the progress and the procedure of the energy transition in the Alps. The data for this visualization comes from a survey platform that is already available and being filled, designed by project partner Eurac – Institute for Renewable Energy and Urban Regional Energy Systems Research Group in Bolzano.
In our newly published video interview, we take a look at the survey platform and talk to two experts from Eurac Research, Valentina D’Alonzo and Aaron Estrada. For those who want to know how to add their energy data to the CERVINO platform – from 12 regions, data is already entered – we filmed a second deep-dive interview with Aaron Estrada.
What the energy survey is about
What the energy survey is exactly about, Valentina D’Alonzo explains in our video interview: “The energy survey basically is a collection of regional and national energy data. The first edition was promoted by Action Group 9 of EUSALP” to have a clear overview of the energy situation in the Alpine area. The first survey took place in 2017 and was updated in 2019, mainly because “reliable energy data are the basis for decision makers and policy makers to define, implement and monitor the effectiveness of energy policies and energy strategies”.
Learning from previous energy surveys
Lessons for the new platform could be drawn by Eurac from the previous surveys. For example, the availability of data and the participation of Alpine regions varied greatly between countries, as different territorial levels had participated in the surveys. And as regions use some renewable energy sources more than others, consequently more data are available for these. Questions about the main providers of energy data in the Alpine region were also of interest in developing the new platform as well as the tools they use to record energy data. The fact that data is not usually shared between regions, not even within a country, is something CERVINO would like to improve.
The new CERVINO data survey
Using lessons learned from past data surveys, Eurac has developed the new web-based platform – to ensure that reliable energy data is entered, registration is necessary. As Eurac’s systems engineer Aaron Estrada reports in the interview, they designed the new platform so that users can provide data in an easy way, which is then visualized for the Alpine region by autumn 2023. In the video interview you can take a first look at the new survey platform and let Aaron Estrada demonstrate the possibilities in data collection. From the selection of possible categories to the ability to turn indicators on or off depending on what is available in the region. In our additional deep-dive video, Aaron Estrada explains in more detail how to use the survey platform – from logging in to submitting.
Looking into the future
It is CERVINO’s long term objective to have the survey regularly updated, possibly in a more automatic way, and to have a big picture of energy data and data sharing among regions also in the future. How the cooperation with regional and national institutions could look like, Valentina D’Alonzo reports in the interview.
Video interview on the survey platform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaDfL_EE9SI
Deep-dive interview on how to add data to the survey platform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAPfxoyCZEE
CERVINO alpine energy data platform: https://cervino.eurac.edu
Find out more about the project Cervino and the energy data platform on our website www.alpine-space.eu/project/cervino/, LinkedIn, and YouTube
