D-VA1.1 Virtual Access Scientific Highlights and Lessons Learned

This report describes the Virtual Access platform, a novelty introduced in the ERIGrid 2.0 project that offers Open Source Simulation-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools and Open Data services. In contrast to the Trans-national Access program, users do not need to apply for an access call and submit a research proposal to access the Virtual Access services. Instead, services are made available immediately, at no cost, and with minimal administrative overhead. The only steps to access the services are to fill out a web form and, if required, to create an account to log in. Eight partners of the ERIGrid 2.0 consortium implemented a total of 10 VA services. Their main functionalities and use cases can be applied to education, research, and industry. During the ERIGrid 2.0 project, the usage of the Virtual Access services was monitored to estimate their impact. Web analytics metrics, user questionnaires and feedback, and the independent assessment of the ERIGrid 2.0 Advisory Board allowed to identify a total of 1,235 visits and 301 unique visitors, out of which 15% correspond to industry users, and the remaining 85% come from the academy. Moreover, almost 60% of them were from European Union countries, while the remaining 40% were from other countries, with a high participation from the United States, Latin America, and Asia. In addition, the assessment by the Advisory Board was fundamental to identifying aspects that led to several improvements to the VA infrastructures, such as enhanced descriptions and methods to track research outcomes. It was found that the Virtual Access services were used to support courses on renewable energies and power systems simulation, as well as to produce several research outcomes, including a bachelor’s thesis and two conference contributions. Likewise, two user surveys allowed the project consortium to identify aspects that require further improvement, specifically related to documentation, user support, and user experience. Finally, through the experience gained in the implementation, maintenance and improvement of the Virtual Access infrastructures, valuable lessons were collected that can serve as a reference for future efforts. Relevant technical aspects include the implementation of suitable cybersecurity mechanisms and improved means to track the usage of the services. Moreover, the impact of the Virtual Access platform can be increased through the preparation of additional support material (webinars, tutorials, etc.), targeting specific audiences like the industry.