Europe’s clean energy transition is often discussed in terms of megawatts, grids, and large-scale infrastructure. But the real test of the transition will happen in communities—where people live, work, and make decisions about how they produce and consume energy. This is where EnergyGuard comes into play, and where EnGreen is making a difference.
EnergyGuard, funded by Horizon Europe, is the first Testing & Experimentation Facility (TEF) for AI in the energy sector. It connects five major laboratories across Europe with Meluxina—the EU’s greenest supercomputer—into one shared platform. This facility gives innovators a safe space to test, improve, and certify artificial intelligence solutions under realistic conditions, without exposing real energy systems to risk. The goal is simple but ambitious: to make Europe the leading market for trustworthy energy AI.
For EnGreen, this project takes shape in Antrodoco, a small town in central Italy that has become one of EnergyGuard’s living labs. Antrodoco is not a high-tech capital. It is a typical Italian community, with historic streets, small businesses, and residents who want reliable and affordable energy. And yet, it is here that the future is being tested.
EnGreen has built a community energy system in Antrodoco where a mini-hydro plant, rooftop solar panels, community batteries, and residents’ electric cars all connect into a real-time digital twin. This digital twin is a mirror of the town’s energy system, allowing developers to test algorithms before they are deployed in the real world. Thanks to this setup, models for peer-to-peer energy trading, congestion management, and smart EV charging can move from design to reality in days rather than years.
What makes Antrodoco even more special is the role of its citizens. The community does not just host technology—it participates in shaping it. Residents are invited to town-hall demonstrations, where they see AI tools in action, ask questions, and share feedback. This involvement turns artificial intelligence from an abstract concept into a tool people can understand and trust. For EnGreen, this is the essence of a community energy approach: technology built with and for citizens, not imposed from outside.
Trust is at the center of EnergyGuard’s mission. With the EU preparing to enforce the AI Act, algorithms used in critical areas like energy must be safe, transparent, and accountable. EnergyGuard provides exactly this framework. Every AI model is tested against a wide catalogue of risks—cybersecurity threats, bias in data, or functional safety issues. Solutions that pass receive a digital trust badge, which signals to regulators, investors, and consumers that they can be relied on. For energy communities like Antrodoco, this means that new services—such as peer trading or flexibility markets—can be scaled with confidence. For innovators, it means shorter development cycles and lower costs. For citizens, it means peace of mind.
EnergyGuard is not limited to Antrodoco. The network spans Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Latvia, with each site offering unique capabilities: grid-scale digital twins, hydrogen production lines, microgrids, or retrofitted apartment blocks. Through a cloud portal, innovators can access datasets, models, and APIs across the network, building solutions that work in diverse contexts. The presence of the Meluxina supercomputer in Luxembourg makes it possible to scale simulations to thousands of CPU and GPU cores—yet always powered by renewable energy. Even small teams can access this computing power through containerized workspaces loaded with open-source tools.
But for EnGreen, Antrodoco remains the beating heart of the project. It shows that small communities can lead Europe’s digital green transition, proving that innovation does not only happen in large cities or corporate R&D labs. By opening datasets from Antrodoco, mentoring start-ups, and ensuring replicability, EnGreen is making sure that what is tested locally can inspire solutions across Europe.
Our role in EnergyGuard reflects what EnGreen has always done: connecting the dots. Between advanced technology and everyday life. Between European policy and local governance. Between data-driven innovation and citizen trust. We are convinced that the energy transition will succeed only if technology and people move together. EnergyGuard makes that possible.
In Antrodoco, the future is no longer a distant vision—it is being lived every day. Citizens are producing, sharing, and trading energy in ways that seemed impossible just a few years ago. And thanks to EnergyGuard, their experience will help shape how Europe builds the trustworthy energy systems of tomorrow.
Learn more at energy-guard.eu
