The Impact of Energy Community Composition on Its Technical and Economic Performance

Abstract

European policies are promoting energy communities and energy sharing to decarbonize the energy system through increased penetration of renewables thereby reducing European energy dependency. However, the implementation of energy communities takes place following different patterns, and it is not entirely clear how the composition may affect community performance. This research evaluates and compares different energy-sharing scenarios at technical and economic levels. Several possible energy community solutions are evaluated. Analyses are conducted by combining the monitored electricity consumption of industries, services, and residential buildings with simulated photovoltaic production and heating consumption. The results highlight the conflict between the economic goal and the objective of maximizing the self-sufficiency of the energy community. The Italian incentive scheme currently makes it possible to double the economic value of the energy fed into the grid if physical self-consumption and shared energy reach 90% of the energy produced.