An innovative ecosystem for the management and governance of cooperatives

Abstract

The invention, named ECOOP, falls within the field of automated systems for creating and managing digital cooperatives, with a particular application to energy communities. It is an innovative digital solution, integrating intelligent algorithms and advanced technologies, connected to sensors, and designed to simplify the formation, governance, and expansion of cooperatives.ECOOP stands out for the following: a member eligibility verification process; AI-powered decision-making systems; an automated profit distribution algorithm; procedures and methods for measuring key indicators such as carbon footprint and flexibility index; community engagement tools to encourage active participation; and real-time energy management and data reconciliation algorithms, enabling small producers and communities to maximize their participation in sustainable value creation. ECOOP represents a major advancement in the field of digital cooperative management, uniquely combining tools powered by new methods and advanced algorithms with cooperative-focused features.This innovative ecosystem addresses the critical needs for accessible, transparent and efficient management of cooperatives, while enabling small producers and communities to control, optimize and enhance their energy systems in a more autonomous and sustainable way.

Description

Title of the invention: An innovative ecosystem for the management and governance of cooperatives

[0001] The invention relates to an innovative ecosystem for the creation and management of cooperatives, specifically designed to manage digital energy cooperatives. Unlike current energy management systems, which are often limited to individual users or private platforms, our invention focuses on facilitating collaborative contributions to the production and sharing of green energy within a cooperative in a defined geographical area. It aims to overcome the challenges of transparency, flexibility, and compliance with market regulations and the expectations of the various cooperative stakeholders.

[0002] Current cooperative management systems, while facilitating cooperative management, are primarily private and managed by cooperative experts, and are not accessible to ordinary citizens or SMEs. They are often used to monitor cooperative energy production and / or consumption. Generally, these metering systems include one or more smart meters capable of detecting different energy flows.

[0003] For example, US20140129042A1 describes an energy management system for a localized community served by an electrical power equivalent to approximately 100 MW maximum. The system and associated techniques are intended to manage the allocation of the total available energy generated within the localized community between current use and storage.Thus, X development LLC has proposed a patent (US20220343230A1) which consists of a computer-implemented method, executed by one or more processors, comprising: displaying a user interface with fields for inputting data for simulations of power grid scenarios; receiving a proposed modification for the grid; simulating this modification in a virtual model; updating the interface with the simulation results and an options menu; receiving a selection to modify the inputs; and displaying the results compared between the initial simulation and the modified simulation.

[0004] However, these two systems do not offer a solution for governing membership, participation in cooperatives, and energy management in a transparent, virtual, and automated manner. Indeed, accelerating the creation of cooperatives and facilitating their management can be achieved through essential processes proposed by the ECOOP invention described in this document, such as: a. Recommendation process based on classification models [Fig.2], b. Eligibility analysis and geographical decision-making process [Fig.3]. c. A fair and transparent algorithm for sharing profits among the members [Fig.4]. d. An automated carbon footprint monitoring process and real-time flexibility index [Fig.5]. e. A mechanism for membership and participation in a cooperative based on a notification system.

[0005] As illustrated in [Fig. 1], ECOOP is an innovative ecosystem (1) developed to facilitate membership and participation in cooperatives in a fun and engaging way, while ensuring the automated sharing of energy and / or financial benefits among members of the same cooperative via advanced algorithms (2) comprising at least two smart meters (3) capable of measuring at least the production of energy assets (6) and energy consumption. An edge computer (4) provides real-time local management and aggregation of cloud resources for high-level services (5) capable of collecting and analyzing the values ​​of said parameter. These services collect and analyze data to determine a member's eligibility to join an existing cooperative and optimize their participation.

[0006] The algorithms in ECOOP (2) are also capable of measuring members' shares during their participation while taking into account their consumption behavior. This allows the digital platform to quantify significant indicators and provide new services, powered by Artificial Intelligence (5), to cooperatives in a fair and transparent manner.

[0007] Designed to provide all the essential services for managing cooperatives, ECOOP allows cooperative managers to configure objectives, define participation criteria, and manage energy-sharing arrangements. ECOOP also offers innovative algorithms that allow potential participants to assess their eligibility, measure the flexibility of each cooperative, optimize their participation choices, automate energy management within cooperatives, and contribute to improving the cooperative decision-making process.

[0008] ECOOP manages all types of cooperatives, particularly energy communities focused on self-consumption, energy resale, and / or the provision of flexibility services for the electricity grid. It is a unique solution because it brings together members, managers, and investors in a networking space, offering... comprehensive functionalities, using innovative technologies, necessary for cooperative management, as follows: a. ECOOP allows potential members (portfolios) to check their eligibility and send invitations to join cooperatives. b. ECOOP provides a private discussion interface to facilitate communication between members of the same cooperative, and a voting system (Blockchain) to strengthen governance. c. It also allows the creation of meetings and events, with the receipt of real-time notifications. d. ECOOP offers essential information, graphs and key performance indicators (KPIs) related to cooperatives. e. ECOOP has an exploration space based on a GIS (Geographic Information System) to map and visualize cooperatives and portfolios, facilitating local eligibility studies through playful visual aspects. f. ECOOP provides an interface for configuring and unifying APIs (such as Shelly, Linky, SMA, etc.). It facilitates interoperability and data exchange with external systems such as smart meters. g. ECOOP allows energy community (EC) managers to identify potential participants in eligible areas / conditions and send them invitations to join the cooperative. h. ECOOP offers user-friendly interfaces to configure profit sharing and prepare monthly reports for cooperative managers. i. ECOOP can calculate the annual potential of any installation or cooperative. j. ECOOP offers a new feature to digitally sign and share official or private documents securely between members of the same cooperative.

[0009] By integrating these functionalities into a single platform, ECOOP transforms the management of energy cooperatives into an efficient, transparent and automated process, promoting active and equitable participation of members while meeting modern energy needs.

[0010] The present invention, ECOOP, aims to improve these situations. To this end, it proposes an ecosystem for the exploration, creation, and management of cooperatives. ECOOP includes an advanced monitoring module composed of: • Smart sensors (e.g., smart meters) capable of monitoring the production and / or consumption of energy assets such as photovoltaics, wind power, batteries, or buildings. • Edge computing to collect and analyze data from members and potential cooperatives to identify new features that encourage the creation of green cooperatives.

[0011] Said sensor (for example, a smart meter) is capable of monitoring at least one production and / or consumption of an energy asset (photovoltaic, wind, battery, building, etc.). Alternatively, edge computing is capable of collecting and analyzing the behavior of members and potential cooperatives in order to identify new features to engage and stimulate the creation of green cooperatives. These features enable automated and quantifiable management of cooperatives, which represents a significant advance over existing systems.

[0012] According to another aspect, ECOOP's cybersecurity and data protection are ensured by deploying the following hybrid and robust techniques: a. The backend is powered by the security-based Django framework, with a RESTful API for communication between the frontend and backend. b. ECOOP uses a microservices architecture where data storage uses PostgreSQL technology to store cooperative data, user information and energy metrics in JSON format. c. ECOOP also integrates third-party security libraries such as Django-CSP, Django-Axes, JWT and Blockchain technology to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. d. ECOOP implements data minimization, encryption, authorization, blockchain via "smart contracts" and user and cryptographic control principles.

[0013] The first innovative aspect concerns the membership recommendation system in a cooperative. According to [Fig. 2], the clustering module (9) (using k-means and OPTICS algorithms) makes it possible to classify members and cooperative behaviors based on data collected by sensors and / or provided by users. The membership recommendation system can be activated, on demand, in two situations, as follows: • First, a member receives two membership applications from two cooperatives (7, 8). The referral system will suggest to the member the cooperative offering the best benefits for membership potential. The decision will be made based on the behaviors and criteria of the cooperatives. • In the second case, if a cooperative receives two membership applications (10, 11) from two different members of which only one place can be offered, then, depending on the profiles of the members, the most suitable candidate to optimize the cooperative will be recommended (12) to (Coop 1).

[0014] The final step involves the recommendation system (k nearest neighbors, KNN) learning from the final decision of the cooperatives and / or members and their feedback to improve its arbitration model in order to make more precise decisions (12, 13). This system takes into account the results of the clustering as well as other relevant criteria to formulate informed recommendations. In general, the process demonstrates a structured approach where potential members are grouped according to certain parameters, and these groupings are then used to establish potential associations with cooperatives. The recommendation system plays an important role in processing structured and anonymized data to generate recommendations, ensuring that potential members / cooperatives are associated with the most appropriate cooperatives / members based on the analysis done by clustering and other factors.

[0015] The second new feature of ECOOP, illustrated in [Fig. 3], offers a graph-based algorithm for analyzing geographic eligibility

[0016] First, during the initial creation phase, the algorithm offers three methods for defining the GIS position (Detect your position, enter your address, or move a marker on the map). When a cooperative (primarily for self-consumption) defines a distance limit (the maximum distance (15) between two members in the same cooperative) for eligibility for geographic membership, this system will draw an eligibility circle whose radius is equal to the distance (17). If the distance limit is not defined, then the eligibility criterion is no longer considered, and the cooperative can be joined from anywhere (16), as is the case for a cooperative for reselling energy or providing flexibility.

[0017] If the location of a potential member (18) is within the eligibility circle, they will be notified as "eligible" (20) to join this cooperative. Otherwise, if the member (or their portfolio) is located outside the circle, they will be notified as "not eligible" for this cooperative (but are eligible for other cooperatives without a distance limit). Therefore, they cannot join this cooperative, and their marker will remain red (19), marking the end of the process. If the eligible potential member decides to join the cooperative, their marker will then turn green (23), and their status will change to "participant." The eligibility zone will be modified and formed by the intersection of the existing circle with a circle centered on the position of the member with a radius equal to the distance (24). This member's contribution (e.g., PV capacity, investment, storage capacity, etc.) will be added to those of the other members (25). Otherwise, their marker will remain red (22) if this member does not join another cooperative, and their status will be "Not participating." If the member decides to leave the cooperative, their contributions will be removed from the cooperative, their status will revert to "Non-participating," and the eligibility circle will be modified by removing the limitation imposed by their position. Iteratively, the system updates the eligibility zone by drawing the intersection between the existing eligibility circle and a new circle centered on the new member's location. This intersection defines the new eligibility zone, ensuring that as new members join, the system dynamically adjusts the boundaries of who can participate. Finally, member contributions are added, completing a workflow designed to ensure that only those located within a specific proximity of the cooperative's location can join, with eligibility zones continuously updated to reflect the inclusion of new members.

[0018] A third advanced and complex algorithm, called the "Profit Distribution and Reconciliation Workflow," is implemented and provided by the ECOOP ecosystem. When the cooperative is operational and generating profits, ECOOP offers a specific service for environmental reporting and profit sharing. This process begins with a member who owns a certain percentage (X%) of shares in the cooperative (26). The first step is to determine whether the cooperative is currently operating (27). If it is not, the member will not receive any shares, and the process will be suspended until the cooperative begins producing.

[0019] In order to automatically calculate each member's share, ECOOP can monitor the cooperative's monthly production (P) (28) and each member's consumption (conso) (30). ECOOP offers different profit-sharing methods (e.g., equal, quota, and proportional to participation). This algorithm will begin by checking each member's bank balance (if positive, it means that previous shares (S) have not been used. If negative, an excess share must be refunded). According to certain European regulations, a share exceeding monthly consumption cannot be deducted from the bill, as is the case with self-consumption in France, hence the importance of this specific sharing system.

[0020] If a member's bank balance is less than or equal to zero (bank < 0), i.e., if a surplus share has already been consumed, the algorithm recovers the surplus consumed (totally or partially) from this month's share. In simplified terms, the system follows these steps: a. The algorithm checks if the share is greater than -bank balance. If so, it then checks if (share + bank balance) is less than consumption. If this condition is met, the bank balance is set to zero, and consumption becomes: consumption = consumption - bank balance - share. Otherwise, consumption is set to zero, and the bank balance becomes: bank balance = bank balance - consumption. b. If the previous conditions are not met, consumption remains unchanged and the algorithm subtracts the monthly portion from the bank balance.

[0021] If the bank balance (bank) is greater than 0 (31), the system then checks if the total sum of bank balances ("banks") exceeds the production of month M (33). a. If so, this means that the entire production will be used to reimburse, on a pro rata basis, the shares not consumed by the members previously (34). If a share cannot be reimbursed (35), for example because it exceeds one member's consumption for month M, it will be redistributed among the other members. In this case, the bank balances of all members will be updated accordingly. b. Otherwise, if the total sum of bank balances (Sum(bank)) is less than the production for month M (P), then all bank balances ("Banks") will be reimbursed. However, if a reimbursement exceeds a member's consumption for month M, then that member's consumption will be set to zero, and their bank balance will be adjusted accordingly: Bank = Bank - Consumption. The difference between production P and the total sum of bank balances (P - Sum(Banks)) will be distributed among the other members whose updated consumption is not zero, and all members' bank balances will be adjusted accordingly. The calculations will be performed iteratively.

[0022] The algorithm will adapt to all situations and calculate the updated shares and consumption / bank balances for all members within the same cooperative, taking into account the sharing method defined by the cooperative and applying a pro rata calculation. It will then populate a table (e.g., Excel) to be sent to the cooperative managers and energy suppliers for monthly billing and / or accounting.

[0023] Finally, to measure the carbon footprint of each member or of the entire cooperative, [Fig.5] illustrates this process defined by ECOOP, as follows:

[0024] The developed solution relies on an external API (39) using ENTSO-E data, which provides information on average CO2 emissions associated with electricity produced by the grid in well-defined geographical areas. By combining this data with measurements from connected meters, the locations of each cooperative, and the origin of the electricity produced or consumed (e.g., the electricity grid or a photovoltaic installation), this module makes it possible to estimate, in near real-time, the dynamic CO2 emissions related to electricity production (37) or consumption (38). The algorithm takes into account emissions over the entire life cycle of generation (e.g., PV) and storage (e.g., batteries) systems.

[0025] Thus, it allows visualization of the carbon impact for each member and / or the entire cooperative (40). This transparent module promotes environmental awareness by informing members and cooperative managers about their CO2 footprint.

[0026] ECOOP provides the following Cloud services: a. Home page (landing page): A central platform offering access to various tools such as a middleware space. b. Dashboard: Displays essential information, graphs and key performance indicators (KPIs) on ECs, such as total cost and monthly consumption / production [Fig.6]. c. Index UIs: Designed to create a positive first impression and encourage exploration, including secure and intuitive modals for the registration and login processes. d. ECOOPChat: This is a module based on a Generative module to provide user support with a guidance process and targeted training on the use of ECOOP. e. Create cooperative (EC) or portfolio user interfaces: User-friendly interfaces for creating an EC or portfolio, specifying characteristics, objectives, and KPIs. Includes proximity eligibility studies and tools for inviting members. f. Cooperative interfaces: Allows TEC members and managers to access various functionalities, including notifications, voting, messaging and multilingual features. g. Reporting and configuration interface: Allows managers and members to configure electronic meters to associate them with a specific portfolio in order to report monthly profits and manage APIs (such as Shelly, Linky, SMA). h. Events interface: To add and display event details, with notifications for meetings. i. Geospatial Exploration Space: It offers a networking space based on maps and uses geospatial data to determine the eligibility of participants based on their location. j. Potential user interface: Based on location, orientation, inclination and resource capacity, it defines the annual potential of each production.

[0027] Among the performance, financial, environmental, and engagement indicators, ECOOP monitors the following KPIs: • Number and date of connections • Time between the invitation to join a cooperative and acceptance • Evaluation, level progression and rewards • Time spent on ECOOP • Level of empathy and engagement • Participation rate in private chat rooms and meetings • Carbon footprint • The flexibility index (FI) of each cooperative In this document, ECOOP proposes a novel method for calculating the Flexibility Index (FI) that takes into account the cooperative's historical or projected energy production, available and complete storage capacity, ramp-up / ramp-down capacity, and load data over a given time horizon. This flexibility quantification process can be explained as follows: Consider a given cooperative, named "COOP," composed of ES=esi, es2,... esn and S=Si, s2,... sn, which are respectively a set of energy production sources that can be dispatched (providing ramp-up capacity) or intermittent, and energy storage, and E= {(ib ji), (i2, j2),..., (in, jn)} is the set of pairs of random variations in loads and productions.COOP is said to be flexible at a given time t if the difference between production and loads can be covered by storage capacity or by increasing or decreasing part of its energy production source, even with unexpected variations in loads or generation (mainly intermittent sources). The proposed FI is based on finding a COOP deficit to provide flexibility over time. The final FI of COOP in a specific interval is the average FI of COOP at each point and is defined by the following equation (El): [Math 1]. FI = 7î^=1F^x(t) with Flex(t) = ^{iJ^EFlex (t, i, j)

[0028] Where Flex(t, i, j) determines the Flexibility Index (FI) at time t as a function of i and j, which respectively represent the variation generated by productions and charges.

[0029]

[0030]

[0031]

[0032]

[0033] Flex(t, i, j) = min min This index is based on a floating scale, so its value can only vary between 1 if it is flexible, and 0 if it is not flexible. Flex(t, i, j) is defined by equation (E2), where we assume that the ramps up and down are greater than zero and that the difference between production and consumption is never equal to zero. [Math 2] full_Storaget+ rampap \ ÿjrod^i-loadf*^ j if prOd^*1-103(1 freeStorage + ramp \ L —prod*i-loadt*j>0 Where full_storaget and free_storaget respectively determine, at time t, the total stored energy that can be consumed and the available storage capacity. ramp_upt and ramp_downt respectively represent the total up and down capacity at time t, and prodt and loadt are, respectively, the total energy production and consumption at time t. In this ecosystem, edge computing, by connecting to different systems, makes it possible to determine flexibility in two situations: a. When there is a peak in consumption, the system measures the capability of storage systems to release energy (full_storage) and generation resources to increase energy production (ramp_up) to cover high consumption (peak smoothing). b. When there is a production peak, the system measures the capacity of storage systems to store energy (free storage) and the generation resources to reduce their output (ramp down) to cover the high demand. Household appliances can be controlled to consume more energy and ensure the comfort of members. The system will be able to send the necessary commands to provide optimal flexibility if cooperative members confirm their permissions to control their devices remotely. Regarding the use of the digital platform, [Fig. 7] shows this participation process as defined by ECOOP in a simplified way. When a customer registers on our platform, they become a "User" (46). Then there are two situations: a. If he creates a cooperative (47) he becomes an "EC manager" and he will be able to send invitations (48) to existing members on our ecosystem. b. If he sends an application to join (49) a cooperative and it is accepted he becomes an “EC member”. Operators and cooperative members will have access to all services offered by ECOOP. Their participation will be managed via a real-time notification system.

[0034] In addition, ECOOP offers a dashboard [Fig. 6] that allows users to select cooperatives and display related indicators (41). To track and trace the energy data of each portfolio involved in a cooperative, the user can filter and select the meter or sensor attached to each element of a portfolio (42). The recorded data can be displayed on graphs (43) with the ability to identify specific patterns. ECOOP allows users to list their portfolios with their information and status (45). Finally, through a map display system, cooperative members and operators can interact via pop-ups and view eligibility zones, portfolios, and cooperatives on the map (44).

Claims

Demands

1. A distributed, secure, and virtual ecosystem for the management and maintenance of cooperatives [Fig 1], comprising: a. A new and unique process to verify the geospatial eligibility of a member and to draw the eligibility area [Fig 2]. b. A digital platform (Web and mobile) based on location to join and participate in cooperatives with a personalized recommendation algorithm. c. An automated system for sharing production and / or benefits among cooperative members using advanced algorithms. d. An energy management, monitoring and display system using connected meters and sensors to track key parameters in a unified manner. e. A process of user participation and dashboards to display key indicators in order to better manage and interact between the different actors in a comprehensive and inclusive manner.

2. The system for managing cooperatives according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: a. Step a: Depending on the presence (in the case of a self-consumption energy community) or the absence (in the case of total resale of energy) of a geographical criterion (the maximum distance), the eligibility process [Fig 3] checks eligibility automatically according to the position of each member. b. Step b: An invitation / application mechanism to join a cooperative. The operator can send an invitation, or an eligible member can send a membership application to join the cooperative. c. Step c: Through the mapping (44), the actors have access to functionalities to facilitate these actions. By clicking on the cooperative or on the portfolio, a pop-up appears and determines, respectively, the members eligible to invite or the cooperatives to join. d. Step d: Potential members can also click on their portfolio (45) with the status "Non-participant" to display cooperatives eligible to join. e. Step e: In an evolving manner, the algorithm traces in real time the eligibility zone according to the admission or departure of a member (24).

3. The eligibility process according to claim 2 ensures, in particular, that: a. The selection criteria defined by each cooperative as well as local regulations are taken into account to determine whether a member is eligible to join an existing cooperative or not. b. A cooperative without geographical criteria can be joined from anywhere, provided that the other criteria are met. c. The selection decision is justified, comprehensive, and well explained. d. The admitted member will have access to all services to facilitate their participation and all data related to the cooperative in a fair and transparent manner.

4. According to claim 1: • A member can join a cooperative either as a producer, consumer, and / or simply an investor, depending on the application of each cooperative. • Applications of cooperatives can include: self-consumption, resale of energy produced, provision of flexibility, or a hybrid cooperative (a mix).

5. The digital platform boosts member participation and improves cooperative management according to claim 1, by ensuring the following steps: a. Step a: After registration, a user may be assigned the role of member or manager of a cooperative [Fig 7], respectively, if they join a cooperative or create their own. This allows them access to all the services defined by ECOOP. b. Step b: In an automated manner, a process periodically classifies cooperatives and portfolios (members) according to their behavior. c. Step c: Upon request, a recommendation system assists cooperative operators in selecting the most suitable member in a non-discriminatory manner. d. Step d: On request, a digital assistant determines for members the most appropriate cooperative that optimizes their environmental and / or economic gains through an arbitration model. e. Step e: The process periodically trains the models to improve the accuracy of decisions.

6.

7. The process for automated energy management according to claim 1, further comprising: a. At least two smart meters capable of measuring the production of energy installations and / or the consumption of loads (e.g. buildings). b. An API allows the commands and data from different connected meters or sensors (e.g. Linky, Shelly, and SMA, etc.) to be unified to track energy flows in a standardized way. c. Edge computing for local management and aggregation of distributed energy assets. It provides real-time management and monitoring, primarily for isolated cooperatives or in cases of internet absence. The energy management ecosystem of claim 6, also including: a. Cloud resources for high-performance services capable of collecting, harmonizing, and analyzing smart meter data. b. A procedure for associating a system (e.g. PV) or an area (e.g. room) of a portfolio with a smart meter (or a connected sensor). c. Innovative features, driven by a notification system, for governance and participation in each cooperative [Fig 7] such as virtual networking, participation in voting via Blockchain, organizing events, participating in private discussions, monthly reporting and digital signing of documents. d. A dashboard [Fig 6] displaying key information, graphs and performance indicators on energy cooperatives, including total cost, consumption, real-time production, carbon footprint and member engagement and participation.

8. The automated profit-sharing system [Fig 4] according to claim 1 is ensured by an advanced algorithm capable of performing the following steps: a. Step a: Define a sharing method according to the possible choices: equal, quota or proportional to participation (percentage). b. Step b: measure the energy production and / or the monetary benefits to be shared among the members. c. Step c: monitor members' consumption in the case of a self-consumption cooperative. d. Step d: calculate the members' shares during their participation taking into account their consumption behavior [Fig 4]. e. Step e: adapt to the sharing method defined by the cooperative. f. Step f: Inform each member of the progress of their part in a very clear and secure manner. g. Step g: automatically generate a monthly report (reporting) in an official format to be sent to the relevant stakeholders.

9. The process for managing energy and cooperatives according to claim 1 controls energy systems and uses indicators (capacities, state of charge of batteries, etc.) to monitor and quantify the energy flow, capacities and impacts of each cooperative (e.g. flexibility rate, carbon footprint) using robust models and processes protected by blockchain technology.

10. The indicators of claim 9 are estimated using specific advanced algorithms, such as: a. Calculating the flexibility index (FI) of each cooperative ([Math 1] and [Math 2]). This indicator allows us to quantify and estimate the flexibility service that a cooperative can provide at any given time t. b. The carbon footprint is also measured [Fig 5] and monitored in real time using data from smart meters, in particular considering the production of green energy consumed by the cooperative, as well as an external API to visualize the amount of CO2 emitted by the energy supplied by the electricity grid. c. Blockchain technology calculates and generates a certificate for the origin of the energy produced, consumed and / or stored.

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