Community Renewable Energy Research Articles

Renewable energy communities: Democratically legitimate agents in governing the energy transition?

It is crucial that the energy transition enfolds democratically, to increase its legitimacy and improve its outcomes. Although practitioners and scholars increasingly point to renewable energy communities (RECs) as legitimate agents for governing a democratic energy transition, RECs' democratic practices are poorly understood, which challenges assumptions about their legitimacy. We therefore analyzed how and to what extent democratic legitimacy is being pursued and met by RECs in their governance of renewable energy generation projects. Our comparative case study examined four different RECs in Utrecht, The Netherlands. We found that three out of the four studied RECs broadly meet the principles of energy democracy in the initial, developing and implementation phase of their energy generation projects. Significant differences between principles and RECs were found, which refutes the simplistic general assumption that RECs are either fully democratically legitimate or are not democratically legitimate at all. In reality, RECs face several trade-offs between democratic principles, which arise from the different legitimacy needs related to the REC's stage of maturity and the type of energy source it uses. To overcome these trade-offs and uphold legitimacy internally as well as with various stakeholders, RECs strategically organize participation and decision making in different governance spaces and prioritize certain specific legitimacy principles over others. Combining the concepts of energy democracy and democratic legitimacy has brought novel theoretical insights to the fore, and we recommend other researchers to further bridge these distinct but related fields of study.

Simulation of energy scenarios for the transition of an urban neighborhood into a renewable energy community

Simulation of energy scenarios for the transition of an urban neighborhood into a renewable energy community

Integrating renewable energy communities and Italian UVAM project through renewable hydrogen chain

Renewable energy communities (RECs) in Italy could play an important role in increasing the stock of electric renewable generation in the coming years. Their impact on the electric grid could be non-negligible. At the same time with increased electric generation from renewables, a greater need for electric national grid balancing is expected, preferably based on zero-emission energy storage. Based on currently existing entities in Italian regulation framework (i.e. REC and UVAM project), the present work proposes an original business model to create a storage of dispatchable renewable hydrogen to be used for balancing National electric grid. Hydrogen production is from excess of renewables in RECs constituted in the same area. UVAM project allows to access the ancillary services market with the minimum capacity of 1 MW that appears appropriate to the proposed scenario. Based on current technical-economic constraints of the technologies involved (electrolysis and both fuel cell and internal combustion engine fed by hydrogen), proposed business model is not day-present economic feasible: the return on investment is never positive. The cost forecasts available for 2035 indicate that the business model will be likely sustainable, with a net present value becoming positive for configurations with more than 3000 people involved in the RECs, with a photovoltaic penetration condition of 1.8 kWp/capita. This research work suggests an original business model for managers of RECs with an excess of renewables generation.

A stochastic optimization procedure to design the fair aggregation of energy users in a Renewable Energy Community

Optimizing unit sizes and operation within a Renewable Energy Community (REC) can match intermittent renewable energy generation with variable user energy demands. These uncertain variables are often represented by pre-defined stochastic scenarios, without searching for the “best” scenarios and testing the optimization models with these scenarios. Moreover, little work both optimized RECs under uncertainty and distributed optimal life-cycle costs (investment and operation) among members. Thus, the objectives are: i) identifying the “best” set of stochastic scenarios of solar irradiance and user electricity demands and ii) assessing the accuracy of the “stochastic forecasts” of the total system costs and unit sizes, obtained by solving a stochastic programming model based on the “best” scenarios. The proposed novel procedure shifts the “present moment” back in time to split historical data into “past” and “future” periods used to identify the “best” scenarios and compare the “stochastic forecasts” with the utopic “perfect forecasts” based on the perfect knowledge of real data, respectively. The small errors between these forecasts in the optimal life-cycle costs (less than 2 %) and sizes (3–13 %) indicate good effectiveness of the suggested procedure. Also, the optimal life-cycle costs of “stochastic forecasts” are fairly distributed among users by applying the Shapley value mechanism.

Ground-breaking approach to enabling fully solar renewable energy communities

Renewable Energy Communities are an important strategy of the EU, to promote and optimize the distributed deployment of renewable generation systems. At current incentives and costs, RECs that share the energy produced by PV/battery systems are expected to take the lion's share of distributed generation. In this paper, we highlight some important critical issues in electric system management that could result from the deployment of RECs if PV/battery system generation cannot meet the entire community demand. Thus, we show how a flexible PV system (PV/battery systems able to provide firm/dispatchable generation) can be cost-effectively dimensioned to supply 24/365 96%–97 % of the demand of a residential users' community. We demonstrate that flexible PV systems of 1/10 MWp with 1.2/12 MWh of storage capacity can supply communities of 142/1420 residential users at a least production cost of 0.12/0.096 €/kWh. We further provide two business models based on power purchase agreement to demonstrate that, at these production costs, fully solar RECs are currently techno-economically feasible and provide mutual benefits to both flexible PV producers and REC members. Suitable virtual corporate PPAs can reduce the electric bill of the REC members by 11%–5% without requiring any investments and increase the producer incomes by 18%–22 %.

Enhancing Energy Systems and Rural Communities through a System of Systems Approach: A Comprehensive Review

Today’s increasingly complex energy systems require innovative approaches to integrate and optimize different energy sources and technologies. In this paper, we explore the system of systems (SoS) approach, which provides a comprehensive framework for improving energy systems’ interoperability, efficiency, and resilience. By examining recent advances in various sectors, including photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, energy storage, renewable energy, smart cities, and rural communities, this study highlights the essential role of SoSs in addressing the challenges of the energy transition. The principal areas of interest include the integration of advanced control algorithms and machine learning techniques and the development of robust communication networks to manage interactions between interconnected subsystems. This study also identifies significant challenges associated with large-scale SoS implementation, such as real-time data processing, decision-making complexity, and the need for harmonized regulatory frameworks. This study outlines future directions for improving the intelligence and autonomy of energy subsystems, which are essential for achieving a sustainable, resilient, and adaptive energy infrastructure.

Empowering Remote and Off-Grid Renewable Energy Communities: Case Studies in Congo, Australia, and Canada

Empowering Remote and Off-Grid Renewable Energy Communities: Case Studies in Congo, Australia, and Canada

The Effect of Increasing Aggregation Levels of Electrical Consumption Data on Renewable Energy Community (REC) Analyses

The growing number of renewable energy communities (RECs) exemplifies the potential of citizen-driven actions towards a more sustainable future. However, obtaining hourly measured consumption data from REC members remains challenging, hindering accurate feasibility studies for the development of communities. This study examines the impact of estimating hourly consumption from aggregated data on REC analysis results. A case study with real consumption data from diverse users, representative of a typical community in Tuscany, Italy, was analysed to investigate various influencing factors. Multiple scenarios were simulated: two open-source tools estimated energy production from the community’s PV plants, and two REC configurations were considered—one with consumers and prosumers and another with consumers and a producer (with the same total installed power). Additionally, three locations were evaluated to consider the importance of geographical positioning. The study revealed that the impact of consumption data aggregation is more significant in scenarios with low energy sharing, such as the scenario where prosumers were replaced with a producer. Geographical positioning showed no major discrepancies in energy and economic outcomes, implying that using estimated hourly consumption data from aggregated data has a relevant impact regardless of location. Furthermore, different weather files did not affect the impact of aggregated consumption data.

Panel or check? Assessing the benefits of integrating households in energy poverty into energy communities

This research raises the possibility for households in energy poverty to participate in shared photovoltaic systems in renewable energy communities (REC) to reduce their energy costs, with investment costs covered by public institutions. It begins by evaluating the current solution for vulnerable households, which relies on public subsidies to lower energy costs without addressing root causes or improving environmental impacts. The study compares traditional subsidies with REC participation for vulnerable households. By simulating a REC composed of such households, the results indicate that REC participation is more cost-effective for public institutions than energy subsidies. At the economically optimal size of 31 kWp, the cost of subsidies decreases by 58,000 €, a 50% reduction, with household savings increasing by 6%. At 58 kWp, the need for additional support checks is eliminated, increasing household savings by 65% but with a lower NPV of 22,500 €. The largest viable system, 75 kWp, increases average household savings by 82%. This approach also leads to a net reduction in GHG emissions, engaging previously excluded households in the energy transition.

Optimization of the composition of residential buildings in a renewable energy community based on monitored data

Optimization of the composition of residential buildings in a renewable energy community based on monitored data

The City as a Power Hub for Boosting Renewable Energy Communities: A Case Study in Naples

The City as a Power Hub for Boosting Renewable Energy Communities: A Case Study in Naples

Integration of photovoltaic panels and biomass-fuelled CHP in an Italian renewable energy community

This study presents the first attempt to explore the technical and financial feasibility of combining incentives for Italian Renewable Energy Communities (REC) with those for high-efficiency cogeneration. The community has local wooden biomass availability and was assembled around two prosumers: an industrial laundry with biomass-fuelled CHP and a school with photovoltaic panels. Other members include residential users. Electric loads were derived from available quarter-hour meters and electric bills. Thermal demand for the laundry was reconstructed from an energy audit. First, the CHP optimal mode of operation was selected among the two suggested by the manufacturer (matching the electric or the thermal load), providing energy, financial and environmental performance in both scenarios. Then the photovoltaic system of the school was sized. Finally, an optimal number of users was selected using a genetic algorithm, with financial performance of the REC as objective functions. Energy, economic and environmental impact performance of prosumers and REC are discussed, finding that the optimal configuration reduces CO2 emissions by 722 tons/year, with further 1360 tons/year coming from biomass combustion. In an optimal REC configuration members cut 250 €/year of electric bills, with an overall performance of 21 % in valorization of shared energy, while a social-focused REC can increase its NPV from 233 to 769 k€. The scenario can be applied to other prosumers with similar thermal demand and can be replicated or adjusted to local requirements.

United in Green: A Bibliometric Exploration of Renewable Energy Communities

In recent years, the domain of renewable energy communities has experienced dynamic growth, spurred by European Union (EU) legislation that became law for all 27 Member States in June 2021. This legislative framework intensified research efforts aimed at discovering new methods for sustainable energy sources through the development of individual and collective energy communities. Each EU country has implemented distinct frameworks for renewable energy communities, leading to varied legislative approaches. This has spurred exponential investment, facilitating the deployment of photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems, offering significant economic and environmental benefits to community members. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this analysis is to investigate academic publications related to renewable energy communities. Using a dataset extracted from the ISI Web of Science database, this study employs a bibliometric approach to identify the main authors, affiliations, and journals and analyze collaboration networks, as well as discern key topics and the countries involved. The analysis reveals an annual growth rate of 42.82%. Through thematic maps, WordClouds, three-field plots, and a review of the top 10 globally cited documents, this study provides a comprehensive perspective on the evolving domain of renewable energy communities.

Harnessing Stadium Roofs for Community Electrical Power: A Case Study of Rome’s Olympic Stadium Title

Within a city, there is a lack of space for the installation of photovoltaic panels, especially in cities with significant artistic heritage. Hence, there is a need to identify new spaces for the installation of renewable energy systems capable of supplying part of the city’s energy demand. Large infrastructures for public use such as stadiums, because of their characteristics, can become an essential resource for surrounding communities by installing photovoltaic panels on their roofs. This innovative approach can supply renewable electricity to the local community, aligning with the concept of renewable energy communities (RECs). This study focuses on the Olympic Stadium in Rome, exploring a new way to produce and share the electricity generated. An energy simulation of the photovoltaic plant was carried out by means of a transient calculation tool System Advisor Model (SAM). Then, the energy output from photovoltaics was correlated with the stadium, streetlight, and household electrical energy demands. The results highlight the suitability of the photovoltaic plant and the energy, economic, and environmental advantages derived from its exploitation.

Empirical insights into enabling and impeding factors for increasing citizen investments in renewable energy communities

This study empirically investigates factors that alternatively enable or impede citizen investments in renewable energy communities (RECs). These factors include key ownership and governance features of REC business models following a strong market logic. Analyzing data from a survey of 1022 adults in France through a discrete choice experiment and a contingent valuation experiment on stated investments in RECs, we find that participants value the opportunity to delegate their voting rights to a trustee but dislike a capital-based voting rule and co-investments by firms. While a capital-based voting rule weakens the stated propensity to invest, it increases the invested amount for participants who are willing to invest some amount. Higher rates of return and higher shares of self-consumption of electricity spur stated investments. These findings offer insights that can inform the transformation of business models to facilitate the scaling-up of RECs. Unless a REC business model with the ownership and governance features considered in this study generates higher rates of return, it appears to face a trade-off between lower citizen participation rates and the leveraging of higher investment amounts from firms, municipalities, and potentially also citizens.

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.

Together, taking the next step: using system dynamics modelling to build community renewable energy programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT The Aotearoa New Zealand electricity sector is undergoing a transition to more distributed electricity generation, largely driven by the private sector. Local actors, however, are increasingly interested in playing a role in the energy transition, and addressing their resilience, with community renewable energy (CRE). These projects often have a wide range of impacts, dependent on the community’s motivations, as well as the design and operation of the project. However, there is a lack of tools that can accurately quantify the impacts derived from CRE projects, and guide communities to build a portfolio of projects. This study used system dynamics modelling to analyse the impacts of CRE projects over a 40-year time span. The Energise Ōtaki community group in Aotearoa New Zealand was used as a case study given their already established CRE project and goals to expand their project portfolio. The system dynamics model showed if the community reinvested 80% of the profits from the first project into a second project would provide the greatest long-term benefit for the community in terms of the impact areas important to them. System dynamics modelling proved a useful tool in evaluating the wide range of impacts, and how they interact.

Optimizing virtual energy sharing in renewable energy communities of residential users for incentives maximization

Renewable energy communities (RECs) are considered a promising tool for putting the citizens at the center of the energy transition, while also promoting self-sufficiency coming from local resources and decarbonization through high penetration of renewables. A key challenge when operating RECs is represented by the number of decision variables to consider depending on the number and type of community participants and distributed technologies, while also considering the associated uncertainties. Moreover, the monetarization of energy shared in the community for benefitting residential users is crucial. The contribution of this paper is to present an innovative stochastic linear programming model for optimizing the energy sharing in RECs to maximize revenues associated with the incentives for the energy shared as established by the Italian regulation. The REC under study consists of a condominium with a PV plant installed on the rooftop, and air conditioning and battery storage systems installed in each apartment. The problem is to find the optimal control strategies for air conditioning systems and batteries with a 15-minute time-step, which maximize the expected revenue from energy sharing while meeting the users’ comfort requirements and preventing users’ bills from increasing. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the optimization model to maximize the energy shared and the related revenues through the optimal control of installed assets. The combined optimized strategies of both air conditioning and batteries allow for finding the best performance of the REC in terms of maximization of the energy shared. In this latter case, the expected total revenue for users for the energy sharing increases by 59.7 %, 38.7 % and 12.6 % as compared to the baseline case with no optimal control, the case with control of air conditioning only, and the case with control of batteries only, respectively.

Local Energy Community to Support Hydrogen Production and Network Flexibility

This paper deals with the optimal scheduling of the resources of a renewable energy community, whose coordination is aimed at providing flexibility services to the electrical distribution network. The available resources are renewable generation units, battery energy storage systems, dispatchable loads, and power-to-hydrogen systems. The main purposes behind the proposed strategy are enhancement of self-consumption and hydrogen production from local resources and the maximization of the economic benefits derived from both the selling of hydrogen and the subsidies given to the community for the shared energy. The proposed approach is formulated as an economic problem accounting for the perspectives of both community members and the distribution system operator. In more detail, a mixed-integer constrained non-linear optimization problem is formulated. Technical constraints related to the resources and the power flows in the electrical grid are considered. Numerical applications allow for verifying the effectiveness of the procedure. The results show that it is possible to increase self-consumption and the production of green hydrogen while providing flexibility services through the exploitation of community resources in terms of active and reactive power support. More specifically, the application of the proposed strategy to different case studies showed that daily revenues of up to EUR 1000 for each MW of renewable energy generation installed can be obtained. This value includes the benefit obtained thanks to the provision of flexibility services, which contribute about 58% of the total.