Community Energy Research Articles

Modeling the Optimal Transition of an Urban Neighborhood towards an Energy Community and a Positive Energy District

Modeling the Optimal Transition of an Urban Neighborhood towards an Energy Community and a Positive Energy District

Energy Community Resilience Improvement Through a Storage System

Energy communities serve as vital stakeholders within contemporary power grids. Nevertheless, managing these communities presents formidable challenges, owing to the intricate nature of the task, the presence of uncertainties, and competing objectives. This paper aims to demonstrate the positive impact of incorporating a storage system into an energy community, ensuring the welfare of every community member during grid malfunctions. The research investigates two separate energy communities, considering both uncontrollable and controllable devices within individual households as consumption sources, in addition to power supply sources like PV systems installed in community residences, as well as power derived from the main grid or the storage system.

On the model flexibility of the geographical distributed real-time co-simulation: The example of ENET-RT lab

The decarbonization of the energy sector represents a challenge that requires new tools and approaches of analysis. This paper aims to demonstrate the fundamental role that geographical distributed real-time co-simulations (GD-RTDS) can play in this regard. To this end, three different case studies have been analyzed with GD-RTDS, covering a wide range of applications for the energy sector decarbonization: (a) implementation of Renewable Energy Communities for supporting the share increase of Renewable Energy Sources, (b) the integration and management of Onshore Power Supply, and (c) the integration of a forecasting tool for the management of the Electric Vehicle charging. The performed experiments included fully simulated components, together with (power) hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop elements. These components have been simulated in different laboratory facilities in Italy and Germany, all operating in a synchronized manner under the presented geographically-distributed setup. The results show that the proposed architecture is flexible enough to be used for modeling all the different case studies; moreover, they highlight the significant contribution that the GD-RTDS methodology can give in informing and driving energy transition policies and the fundamental role of power systems to spearhead the complete decarbonization of the energy sector.

Impact of Non-Residential Users on the Energy Performance of Renewable Energy Communities Considering Clusterization of Consumptions

Renewable energy communities foster the users’ engagement in the energy transition, paving the way to the integration of distributed renewable energy sources. So far, the scientific literature has focused on residential users in energy communities, thus overlooking the opportunities for industrial and commercial members. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by extending the analysis to the role of non-residential users. The proposed methodology develops an effective clustering approach targeted to actual non-residential consumption profiles. It is based on the k-means algorithm and statistical characterization based on relevant probability density function curves. The employed clusterization procedure allows for effectively reducing a sample of 49 real industrial load profiles up to 11 typical consumption curves, whilst capturing all the relevant characteristics of the initial population. Furthermore, a peer-to-peer sharing strategy is developed accounting for distributed and shared storage. Three scenarios are considered to validate the model with different shares of non-residential users, and the results are then evaluated by means of shared energy, self-consumption, and self-sufficiency indices. Moreover, the results show that the integration of a large non-residential prosumer in a REC may increase the self-sufficiency of residential members by 8.2%, self-consumption by 4.4%, and the overall shared energy by 37.3%. Therefore, the residential community consistently benefits from the presence of non-residential users, with larger users inducing more pronounced effects.

Optimal management of cooperative energy communities: impact of agent cooperation

In this work we analyse the profitability of the agents participating in a Local Energy Community (LEC); the agents in these communities can be either passive or active. The main difference is that active agents own generating units that they need to dispatch, whereas passive agents do not own any generating units. The LEC is operated and managed by a coordinating agent that is in charge of all energy exchanges between the agents in the LEC and the external Public Electricity Network (PEN). We propose a general optimization-based mathematical model to study the interactions among all the participants and to foresee strategies and optimal behaviour within the rules of the LEC. With this model we can compute optimal costs, profits, energy purchases and energy sales, assessing the best configuration for the LEC as a whole and for each individual participant.

Photovoltaic sizing assessment for microgrid communities under load shifting constraints and endogenous electricity prices: A Stackelberg approach

Renewable energy resources are crucial for decarbonizing the energy sector. Distributed energy resources, such as renewable generation by microgrids, aid the transition to net-zero systems. As microgrids proliferate, renewable generation often exceeds self-supply capacities, necessitating either the sale of excess electricity or the implementation of demand-response strategies. The optimal approach for microgrids (selling or shifting demand) hinges on electricity prices. This article examines the interplay between microgrids, demand response, photovoltaic investments, and pricing mechanisms. A novel Stackelberg model is proposed to minimize microgrid investment and operational costs. The upper-level problem determines energy community investments and demand response levels based on electricity prices, while the lower-level problem addresses market dispatch and endogenous pricing for microgrids. Case studies with varying battery storage levels, demand response limits, and pricing mechanisms are conducted. The research results illustrate the responsiveness of market transactions to supply conditions and pricing. Key findings show that microgrid flexibility in demand response reduces grid dependency, prompting significant investments in solar energy and battery storage, driven by economic incentives, especially under spot market conditions. Investments in solar energy more than double when microgrids trade energy at spot prices compared to flat prices.

Urban energy transition: Sustainable model simulation for social house district

Energy communities (EC) play a crucial role in driving the transition towards renewable energy sources within urban areas. This study focuses on the implementation of EC within linear mass housing in Rome, with particular attention given to the Tor Bella Monaca district. The research proposes and simulates six energy community distinct scenarios using the Urban Modelling Interface (UMI) and Simulink in order to advance understanding of this topic. These scenarios evaluate the integration of photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, and energy storage systems to determine their comprehensive effect on renewable energy production, CO2 emission reduction, and the enhancement of self-consumption. The study findings show that higher electrification levels in an energy community lead to greater consumption of renewable energy and reduced reliance on the grid. The integration of heat pumps and energy storage further enhances energy consumption and self-sufficiency creating sustainable energy models in urban environments. With an increase in self-consumption factor and self-sufficiency factor of 0.15–0.30 and 0.11–0.13, respectively, depending on the scenario. The research highlights the importance of a thorough assessment of technology sizing and integration in order to enhance self-consumption and decrease CO2 emissions. It proposes investigating the incorporation of both thermal and electrical storage to optimize self-consumption. Finally, the simulated scenarios underwent flexibility analyses to determine the precise energy flow capacity and the optimal setting identified through economic evaluation.

Community rights and energy politics in a pro-fracking Appalachian town

Research shows that conservatives support fossil fuel extraction and distrust regulation. Yet scholarship overlooks where environmentalist and conservative interests may align—a question I explore through studying a rural, white, and conservative Pennsylvania community where many leased their land for shale gas drilling (fracking). Landowners endorsed fracking and discredited state regulators and environmentalists. Eventually, however, many became troubled by how their land sovereignty and community “home rule” were eroded by petroleum companies and state zoning preemption laws. Though few rejected fracking outright, most believed their town should be allowed to manage the industry’s footprint. Although climate advocates increasingly view local sovereignty as enabling NIMBYism that stymies climate action, communities often experience state-led energy siting policies as a procedural injustice. Regarding fracking, community empowerment would abet climate action by enabling municipal checks on industrial expansion. Environmentalists could forge alliances with rural, conservative towns by supporting greater local democratic decision-making over fracking.

What is the role of energy communities in tackling energy poverty? Measures, barriers and potential in the Netherlands

Energy poverty has become a growing concern. Energy communities have been highlighted to be key enablers to facilitate a just energy transition. However, energy poverty and energy communities have mostly been treated in relative isolation from each other. This study sets to unravel the specificities of energy communities' energy poverty alleviation approaches and barriers faced. The Netherlands is selected as a case due to a doubling of energy communities over the past decade and, as in the whole of Europe, growing concern about energy poverty. A survey is developed to appraise energy communities' (lack of) engagement in tackling energy poverty with n = 196. Using an ordinal logistic model, the self-reported effectiveness of approaches of energy communities in addressing energy poverty is assessed. Key results are that 52 % of energy communities address energy poverty, predominantly through providing advice, financial support and small energy efficiency measures. The largest barriers are identifying and reaching households in energy poverty, and lack of financial and human resource capacities. This study concludes that energy communities have potential to address energy poverty because of their capacity for citizen engagement and, in some cases, their financial support to vulnerable households. Future research is recommended to scrutinise the potential of energy communities to contribute to energy poverty alleviation as part of a local governance arrangement of partners. Insights from this study on implications for energy community movements and policy makers can also be valuable for other countries facing energy poverty challenges.

A stochastic iterative peer-to-peer energy market clearing in smart energy communities considering participation priorities of prosumers

The penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) has changed the role of a consumer to a prosumer, i.e., producer and consumer. This new role provides the opportunity for peer-to-peer(P2P) energy trading. In this paper, a three-stage iterative framework is proposed to clear the price and quantity of trading in P2P markets while addressing price and DER uncertainties by the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. Initially, bids and offers of customers are determined by implementing an advanced satisfaction-based home energy management system (HEMS) at each home. Subsequently, the market operator prioritizes bids and offers according to the amount of customers’ participation in the market. Finally, the P2P market is cleared by application of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), and the market clearing prices (MCPs) are determined. MCPs are used as a parameter to repeat the three stages, and the procedure is redone until the stopping rule is met. The proposed method's effectiveness has been investigated in communities with 8, 50, and 100 prosumers. Results indicate a 69.51 % cost reduction in a smart energy community with 50 homes through P2P energy market participation. The proposed market clearing method is compared with the common mid-market rate (MMR) and Stackelberg game methods and demonstrates over 25 % reduction in community costs.

Unlocking responsive flexibility within local energy communities in the presence of grid-scale batteries

The transition towards a decentralized, decarbonized, and distributed energy infrastructure necessitates techno-economic initiatives to empower local energy communities (LECs) to achieve self-reliance and evolve into self-sustained electricity networks. It is crucial to underscore the significance of network resilience, especially in the context of local power generation, battery storage, and the radial topology of low-voltage (LV) networks. While contemporary LV networks have made significant attempts to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), the notable deficiency lies in their lack of network redundancy, posing a substantial challenge in the occurrence of high-impact, low-probability (HILP) events. Therefore, to enhance LV network resilience and leverage its capability to withstand unexpected disruptions, the network operator needs to unlock the potential contributions of end-users within the active distribution networks (ADNs). In this paper, a comprehensive model is developed based on multi-temporal optimal power flow (MTOPF) for unbalanced LV networks addressing the technical issues in islanded microgrid operational planning. The contributions of the grid-scale batteries in forming islanded microgrids and the flexibility that can be provided by the end-users in the LEC have been considered in this paper. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed model, the simulation studies have been carried out on a part of medium and low voltage networks, consisting of network reconfiguration and load transferring capability to reduce the service interruptions during HILP events. The energy-not-served (ENS) is chosen as one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in this study. With the unlocking flexibility potentials and contribution of the DERs, including grid-scale energy storage (GES) units and Photovoltaic (PV) panels, the ENS has been reduced from 700.8 kWh to 447.5 kWh by activating the local resources, proper switching action, and contribution of the flexible loads, for one of the severe HILP events, i.e., the main grid outage. In this case, the full load curtailment index is reduced from 180 to 106 client hours.

Solar Self-Consumption and Urban Energy Vulnerability: Case Study in Lisbon

This paper investigates the potential of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems in mitigating energy vulnerability in the urban context. Based on a geospatial data-driven approach, it combines georeferenced assessment of solar potential and high-resolution demand data with energy vulnerability indicators for both heating and cooling needs, to identify priority areas for supporting PV deployment. Results show more than 50% saving potential in the energy bill for the selected priority areas. The mismatch between PV supply and demand supports the development of demand-aggregating collective self-consumption approaches such as solar energy communities, whose challenges and opportunities are discussed.

Enhancing grid hosting capacity with coordinated non-firm connections in industrial energy communities

A significant increase in grid connection requests from industrial customers has lead to long connection queues. Combined with long lead times on grid construction, the result is significant socioeconomic losses due to lack of grid capacity. Distribution system operators (DSO) have therefore introduced non-firm connections as an alternative, where the new grid customer may connect on the condition that the DSO retains the right to disconnect the grid customer if necessary. An option to potential disconnection is for customers to leverage flexibility to stay below an agreed capacity level. Unfortunately, many existing grid customers possess flexibility potential but lack incentives to utilise it. To address this, we propose a “coordinated non-firm connection”, where the new grid customer forms an energy community with existing grid customers to coordinate flexibility and capacity utilisation. To demonstrate technical feasibility and incentive compatibility, we formulate a complementarity model. Applying this model to a case study involving three industrial grid customers, we showcase both technical potential and incentive compatibility. Results illustrate how energy community members engage in capacity trading within a local market, ensuring adherence to grid limitations. The game theory-based model confirms sufficient economic benefit for all members to participate.

Energy Communities in the Transition to Renewable Sources: Innovative Models of Energy Self-Sufficiency through Organic Waste

Energy Communities in the Transition to Renewable Sources: Innovative Models of Energy Self-Sufficiency through Organic Waste

REGULATING THE STATUS OF OFFICIALS OF THE REGIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE: A QUEST FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE

The article explores how the constituent instruments and secondary rules of the selected three regional intergovernmental organisations in Southeast Europe (Energy Community, Transport Community, Regional School of Public Administration) have incorporated some key legal concepts related to the status of international officials - professional independence of international officials and exclusivity of international service; recruitment standards; and the legal remedies for protecting the rights of international officials. The article, at the first place, defines the notion of international civil service, and elaborates, based on the legal texts of a number of international organisations and theoretical writings, the international practice in regulating the above specified concepts. The article than analyses and assesses how these concepts have been addressed in the relevant legal documents of the selected organisations. Finally, the article concludes that the explored legal texts provide for the guarantees of professional independence of the officials and contain the elaborated rules on recruitment aiming at selecting qualified staff and ensuring the geographical equilibrium within the secretariats. However, certain shortages have been identified and explained in relation to the existence of adequate legal remedies for protecting staff, particularly through the judicial proceedings.

Integrated modelling of CO2 plume geothermal energy systems in carbonate reservoirs: Technology, operations, economics and sustainability

The rising CO2 content in the atmosphere calls for urgent decarbonization efforts. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) have proven effective in storing large volumes of CO2 in geological reservoirs. Nevertheless, challenges persist in identifying sustainable energy sources and efficient storage sites, especially in carbonate reservoirs. This study aims to characterize the Miocene carbonate reservoir in the Jintan Megaplatform, for CO2 storage and geothermal energy utilization. By integrating advanced technologies such as CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) with 3D seismic techniques, borehole analysis and numerical modelling, the study reveals the distribution of critical reservoir characteristics, including architecture, heterogeneity, karstification, fractures, porosity, permeability, temperature and pressure that are paramount for CO2 plume and energy production. The reservoir is estimated to store over 31 Gt of CO2, produce 3.824 × 1018 J of geothermal energy and ⁓44.3 GW of power. This power output can be utilized for electrification of the CCS operations, industrial and municipals, potentially generating over $1.4 billion in revenue. A flow-through model has been proposed to improve energy efficiency, reservoir management, and risk mitigation. This study advances to achieving net-zero targets and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on clean energy, climate action and sustainable communities.

AI-enabled sports-system peer-to-peer energy exchange network for remote areas in the digital economy

In remote areas, particularly in developing countries, there is a growing interest in off-grid solar PV systems for their ability to provide clean and affordable electricity. However, these systems often face limitations in powering essential amenities, including sports facilities, due to restricted capabilities and inadequate battery storage. To address these challenges and promote energy independence, this paper proposes an AI-enabled sports-system peer-to-peer (P2P) energy exchange network within the digital economy. This innovative system leverages AI to optimize energy distribution specifically for sports-related infrastructures, ensuring efficient use of solar power and improved energy availability for both recreational and community needs. The proposed P2P network operates on a three-part Internet of Things (IoT) framework, facilitating automatic energy sharing among interconnected systems. This approach not only enhances the performance of existing solar power setups but also ensures that energy demands for sports facilities are met effectively. Feasibility studies of this system reveal promising outcomes, including a 13.67% increase in community energy independence and a 12.20% reduction in overall energy consumption. The AI-powered sports-system network demonstrates its potential to support sustainable development and improve the quality of life in remote areas by integrating sports and energy needs within the digital economy context.

Experimental study of solar drying kinetics and evaluation of activation energy of Eriobotrya japonica fruits

AbstractGiven the seasonal nature and high perishability of Eriobotrya japonica fruits, employing effective preservation techniques like drying is crucial to minimize economic losses and extend the fruit's availability throughout the year. This study rigorously examines the drying kinetics of Eriobotrya japonica fruits using an indirect forced convection solar dryer and highlights the technological advantages of utilizing this dryer over traditional open‐air methods, showing that controlled conditions provide improved drying rates. The research develops the equation for the characteristic drying curve. The Midilli‐Kucuk model was demonstrated to be the most appropriate for describing these kinetics under various conditions, offering a reliable method for predicting drying behavior at untested temperatures. The thermal diffusivity was determined and rises as the temperature increases. The application of the Arrhenius approach enabled the determination of an activation energy of 17.79 kJ/mol, confirming the substantial impact of temperature on the drying process.Practical applicationsThe global challenge of food preservation, especially for perishable fruits like Eriobotrya japonica, requires innovative and efficient solutions to minimize economic losses and ensure the year‐round availability of nutritious produce. Our research demonstrates the technological advantages of using a forced convection solar dryer over traditional methods for drying E. japonica. This system maintains a consistent air temperature, ensuring a stable energy supply, faster, and more uniform drying. A major contribution of this study is the development of the characteristic drying curve equation, which is crucial for optimizing drying parameters and designing an efficient solar dryer specifically for E. japonica. This research not only advances the understanding of the drying kinetics and thermal properties of E. japonica but also provides a foundation for the development of more efficient and sustainable drying technologies. By optimizing the drying process, this study contributes to improving the preservation and quality of loquat fruits, thereby supporting agricultural sustainability and reducing post‐harvest losses. This work is highly relevant to the broader energy community, as it showcases the potential of solar drying technologies in enhancing food preservation while promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

An energy transition for all: Investigating determinants of citizen support for energy community initiatives on the island of Mayotte

For an equitable transition towards a decentralized and clean energy future, the involvement and active participation of citizens is needed, exemplified by new organizational forms such as Energy Communities (ECs). While determinants of citizen engagement in renewable energy projects have received some attention in the literature, research mostly focuses on continental Europe, with limited understanding of the perceptions and motivations of citizens living in the Global South or in contexts of poverty and marginalization. Using novel survey data (n = 392) and insights from 16 key informant interviews from the French overseas territory Mayotte, we investigate citizens' perception of renewable energies and ECs and their willingness to participate in such initiatives, confirming high support of the local population for a community-based energy transition. Through exploratory factor analysis and subsequent multivariate regressions, we identify the factors Environmental Awareness, Access to Services and Social Inclusion as important determinants of citizen engagement, with Environmental Awareness exhibiting particularly strong and robust effects on both general support and the willingness to actively participate in an EC. Establishing the housing situation of respondents as a proxy for socio-economic status (SES), we find positive effects of SES on EC support, which is mediated by the identified factors and thereby represents a fourth, underlying determinant of support. Our research underscores the vital importance of considering the multifaceted, diverse perceptions and motivations of the local population to achieve the vision of an equitable transition. Inclusion of needs and priorities of various socio-economic groups, particularly the most vulnerable community members, is essential.

A social network approach to community energy initiative participation

This perspective paper argues how a social network approach can contribute to creating a more comprehensive picture of how individual and community characteristics influence participation in community energy initiatives (CEIs). We argue how social network theory and methods for social network analysis can be utilized to better understand participation. Further, we show how this can potentially aid the implementation of interventions aimed at attracting more participants with more diverse socio-demographic backgrounds. Importantly, we argue that the structure of community social networks connecting (potential) participants could importantly influence whether and how individual and community properties affect CEI participation. Our aim is conveying the social network approach to the field of community energy researchers and stakeholders who might not be familiar with it. We discuss empirical evidence on the effect of network characteristics on CEI participation and the connection between research on CEIs and adjacent fields as a foundation for our claims. We also illustrate how a social network approach might help to overcome biased participation and low participation numbers, by providing social scientists with a tool to give empirically grounded advice to CEIs. We conclude by looking at avenues for future research and discuss how the context of CEIs might yield new theoretical insights and hypotheses.