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Annual Monitoring of Demos and Stakeholder Engagement (UPCHANGE Deliverable D5.1)

· 3 min read
Josef Haber
Josef Haber
Czech Technical University in Prague (CVUT), CZ
Klara Zámečníková
Klara Zámečníková
Czech Technical University in Prague (CVUT), CZ

The UPCHANGE project has reached an important milestone with the completion of Deliverable D5.1 – Annual Monitoring of Demos Reports, prepared within Work Package 5 (WP5): Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Communities.

This first annual monitoring report provides a comprehensive overview of how UPCHANGE solutions and demonstration cases progressed during the initial project year. Year 1 largely focused on preparation, alignment, and building the foundations for future implementation.

Monitoring progress across solutions and demos​

Deliverable D5.1 consolidates insights from:

  • structured one-to-one interviews with solution and demo leaders
  • internal project documentation and consortium updates
  • a dedicated Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Communities workshop

The report captures the status, focus, and maturity of individual UPCHANGE solutions, highlights key technical, organisational, and data-related challenges, and identifies emerging connections across the solution portfolio. Rather than evaluating performance in quantitative terms at this early stage, the monitoring establishes a qualitative baseline to enable consistent comparison and reflection in future reporting cycles.

Stakeholder engagement and knowledge communities​

A central element of D5.1 is the documentation of the WP5 stakeholder engagement workshop, focusing on the role of stakeholders in the implementation and scaling of UPCHANGE solutions.

During the workshop, participants reflected on:

  • which stakeholder groups are relevant for different solutions and demos
  • how stakeholder involvement evolves over time
  • how knowledge exchange can be strengthened within the consortium and towards the wider CETPartnership Knowledge Community

The workshop outcomes underline that effective stakeholder engagement is not a one-off activity, but a phased process closely linked to technical readiness, data availability, and local context. These reflections provide practical guidance for planning future engagement activities across UPCHANGE demonstration sites.

From foundation year to implementation​

The monitoring confirms that Year 1 can be characterised as a foundation phase, with strong emphasis on:

  • data readiness and interoperability
  • definition of interfaces and methodologies
  • preparation of demo environments
  • clarification of solution-to-demo linkages

At the same time, the report points towards the next steps. As UPCHANGE moves forward, the focus will increasingly shift from preparation to controlled execution, integration, and evaluation, supporting the transition from individual building-level interventions to coordinated district-scale energy solutions.

Supporting learning and future monitoring​

Beyond its reporting function, Deliverable D5.1 strengthens internal alignment within the UPCHANGE consortium and supports cross-solution learning. It also provides a solid evidence base for future WP5 activities, including knowledge community building, stakeholder workshops, and contributions to CETPartnership exchanges.

The insights captured in this deliverable will serve as a reference point for subsequent monitoring cycles and help guide the project’s implementation and scaling efforts in the coming years.

Stakeholder mapping