Energy management and sustainability assessment of renewable energy communities: The Italian context

The Clean Energy for all Europeans Package introduced the now well-known Renewable Energy Community (REC), decentralized and democratic energy production and distribution configurations that are strategic to foster the integration of renewable sources in urban areas. The design phase of a REC is of utmost importance in terms of energy performance assessment and cost-effectiveness of the investment. In this study, an optimization model is presented to orient energy experts and urban planners in the capacity sizing and flow management of RECs under the Italian regulatory framework. Physical and virtual sharing schemes for centralized and decentralized configurations have been compared, also encompassing the chance to include storage systems. Results indicate that, the economic benefits for REC's participants increase with the amount of energy shared under the virtual scheme in a centralized distribution configuration. Moreover, purpose-built sustainability indicators highlighted the significant reduction of carbon emissions, up to 34 % compared to the traditional scenario, and a reduction of energy poverty, with 14 low-income families included in the REC.

Automated summary

The Clean Energy for all Europeans Package introduced the concept of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) which are important for integrating renewable energy in urban areas. This study presents an optimization model for urban planners and energy experts to assess the energy performance and cost-effectiveness of RECs in Italy. The results show that virtual sharing schemes in centralized distribution configurations bring economic benefits to REC participants, while purpose-built sustainability indicators demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon emissions and energy poverty.