Estimation of Energy Distribution Coefficients in Collective Self-Consumption Using Meta-Heuristic Optimization Techniques

Abstract

The expansion of collective self-consumption is set to be a fundamental pillar for the development of energy-positive communities. In Spain, the regulation establishes an allocation scheme of self-consumed and surplus energy among the participants, based on distribution coefficients. This implies that the members of the self-consumption community must decide (or otherwise are assigned by default, according to the criteria established in the regulation) the distribution coefficients assigned to each of the consumers for the allocation of the distribution of the energy generated by the self-consumption system, as well as for the allocation of the surpluses. In this paper, the behavior of several algorithms based on heuristic techniques will be analyzed, with the aim of achieving an adequate economic optimization focused on obtaining the distribution coefficients that maximize the net present value (NPV) of the collective installation (according to the annual savings from the implementation of the self-consumption facility, compared to conventional consumption). The modeling of the problem is performed under fully realistic conditions, considering hourly consumption data, electricity prices for domestic consumers and irradiation and photovoltaic production. The results obtained show a clear improvement in the economic performance of the plant by optimizing the distribution coefficients, compared to the standard approach corresponding to the default coefficients established in the regulatory framework.