Local sustainable communities: Sector coupling and community optimization in decentralized energy systems

Abstract

Achieving local sustainable development often depends on consumers' incentives to efficiently utilize energy and resources. In this paper, Local sustainable communities (LSC) are introduced as a combination of sustainable communities and local energy communities to promote local energy and resource utilization. Business models on technology and service provision and those on promoting sustainable resource utilization are developed, which are then applied to a community in Austria. A modeling framework on sector coupling in community operations, that also considers resource utilization is developed to assess the impact of the business models. LSC business models promote participation and sustainable operation in an LSC as 31% of electricity and 34% of heat can be covered by LSC purchase. The implementation of energy recovery business models and the availability of sufficient decentralized technologies have the greatest impact on LSC operations, reducing external electricity grid coverage to 58%. The consideration of resource business models can positively contribute to a local resource utilization efficiency, reducing the water pipeline coverage by 43%. The introduction of an LSC has a positive impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and can therefore efficiently contribute to the development of a cleaner energy system.