Energy Losses in Power Distribution Systems: PV Roof Prosumers vs. Energy communities

Abstract

The need to stop climate change as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is causing profound changes in power systems. The climate problem is solved by replacing traditional fossil fuel power plants with renewable energy sources. The use of photovoltaics to generate electricity is developing especially fast. One of the great advantages of PV generation is the possibility to create projects of very different scales. Small power stations can be implemented in the vicinity of individual houses. It is also possible to create much more powerful stations by forming energy communities. In both cases, thanks to the activity of ordinary citizens, the authorities are able to devote billions of euros to the use of solar energy. The question arises: which option is better? This article contains a methodology that allows comparing the named variants in terms of energy losses. The study was performed on a standard IEEE 123 Node Test Feeder, typical for rural distribution network. GridLAB-D software, Photovoltaic geographical information system and high-resolution historical data on energy consumption were employed for power flow and energy losses estimation. Amounts of energy losses will be used in future work to assess economic efficiency criteria.