Conceptual design of energy market topologies for communities and their practical applications in EU: A comparison of three case studies

Abstract

Today several trends, such as liberalization, decarbonization, renewable energy sources (RES) growth, electrification, and digitalization, are putting more and more pressure on the way the energy sector operates. This has resulted in ongoing transformation into smart grids (SG) and spreading of energy communities (EC), making use of new digital technologies and renewable sources. Within this paper we aimed to compare the conceptual designs of EC energy market topologies with some of their practical applications in Europe. Although previous studies have already examined selected SG topologies, our work provides an umbrella view of all potential designs of energy market configuration in which a community plays an active role. In addition, we follow a pragmatic approach, comparing theory with practice, and showing how the theoretical EC concept is currently embedded in reality.This paper answers two research questions: (1) Which of the theoretical EC network topologies are currently used in practice (2) How and which network topologies of EC have the greatest chance for the implementation in the future projects? To answer these questions, we conduct a literature review together with a comparison analysis of three case studies from the Netherlands and Denmark. This comparison allowed us to formulate some observations and further recommendations on formal structure, communication, and management, which, in our opinion, are significant for organizations planning to set up their first smart EC initiative, especially in countries where the EC concept has not gained popularity yet.