Enhancing Energy Efficiency: How Data Sharing and IoT Transform Residential Energy Use and Purpose
The energy sector is undergoing a rapid transformation. Driven by decarbonisation and digitalisation, the shift is especially visible in Dutch households, where over 63% now use smart meters and nearly a third rely on smart thermostats. As the Home Energy Management market is expected to quadruple by 2030 (from $2.28 billion in 2020 to $8.73 billion by 2030), this growth opens new opportunities and challenges.
To fully realise the benefits of smart energy systems, the key ingredient is trusted, secure and standardised data sharing. This is where the iSHARE Framework comes in.
The Missing Link: Trusted Data Sharing in the Energy Sector
The iSHARE Framework provides a common language for trust in digital ecosystems. It enables all parties–households, IoT platforms, energy providers, municipalities– to share and access data securely and transparently, based on agreed rules and verifies identity. But, what are these areas of transformation?
1. Reduce Energy Use, Lower Bills
By enabling real-time, data-driven optimisation, smart home systems can help households cut gas usage by up to 14% and electricity by 3-5%. Combined with dynamic pricing, that’s around a €275 annual saving per household.
iSHARE ensures that this data is shared securely between the right parties–consumers, platforms, and providers– without compromising privacy or control.
2. Smarter, Automated Energy Decisions
AI-powered platforms learn from data generated by smart meters and devices. They can automate heating, cooling and appliance use– improving comfort, reducing waste, and easing pressure on the grid.
With iSHARE, these platforms get verified access to household data, ensuring compliance and trust every step of the way.
3. Enabling Energy Trading at home
With solar panels, home batteries, and peer-to-peer (P2P) trading on the rise, households are becoming active players in the energy economy.
The iSHARE Framework supports secure, consent-based sharing of generation and usage data, enabling households to sell surplus energy, join flexibility schemes, and benefit from custom tariffs.
4. Interoperability Across Devices and Platforms
The smart home landscape is fragmented. Devices from different manufacturers often don’t talk to each other.
The iSHARE Framework enables interoperability by standardising how data rights and access are handled, making it easier for ecosystems to work together–without vendor lock-in.
5. Scaling Beyond Homes: Cross-Sector Integration
iSHARE connects more than just households. When energy data is securely shared with authorised parties, it powers grid optimisation, municipal planning, and even agriculture. For instance:
- Smart meter data can improve precision irrigation in farming.
- Grid load data informs urban mobility planning.
- Energy usage data supports emissions tracking for climate targets.
This is already happening in projects like Datastelsel Verduurzaming Utiliteit (DVU), where the iSHARE Framework is used to enable secure data sharing among stakeholders in the non-residential energy sector–with residential integration now underway.
From Household to National Strategy: Building a Federated Energy Data Space
iSHARE’s modular, federated architecture allows for decentralised yet connected data ecosystems. This means:
- Thermostat data can help balance the grid in real time.
- EV charging can be coordinated across neighborhoods.
- Energy performance data can automate subsidy claims or regulatory compliance.
By maintaining data sovereignty, iSHARE ensures that each actor–whether a homeowner, municipality, or grid operator–retains control over their data while enabling verified use by others.
This supports not only Dutch and EU climate goals, but also strengthens alignment with emerging European Data Spaces and trusted frameworks such as iSHARE, International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), Gaia-X and Sitra.
Building a Greener Tomorrow, Together
The future of residential energy is smart, decentralised, and data-driven. But it must also be secure, standardised, and trusted. By adopting the iSHARE Framework organisations and households benefit from:
- Faster innovation across services and platforms
- Seamless integration with smart devices and ecosystems
- Verified compliance with privacy and sustainability standards
- Cross-sector opportunities from shared energy data
As energy providers, platform developers, and public authorities work towards a carbon-neutral future, collaboration through trusted data sharing is essential.
The iSHARE Framework is already proving its value–from smart homes to national platforms, and across sectors. It’s not just a technical solution; it’s a shared foundation for innovation, sustainability and trust.
Sources:
- CBS (Statistics Netherlands). (2024). Nearly a quarter of the Dutch population use AI programs such as ChatGPT.
- Zonneplan. (2024). Smart Thermostat Adoption and Energy Savings in the Netherlands.
- Allied Market Research. (2021). Home Energy Management Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2030.
