Optimal Management of an Energy Community with PV and Battery-Energy-Storage Systems

Most of current prosumer-energy-management approaches are focused on economic optimization by self-consumption maximization. Nevertheless, a lack of energy management strategies (EMS) that tackle different interaction possibilities among community-clustered solar plus battery prosumers has been detected. Furthermore, such active prosumer EMS may include participation in ancillary service markets such as automatic frequency restoration reserves (aFRR) through an optimized battery-energy storage-system (BESS) operation, as well as incorporating community-level energy management. In this study, an optimal EMS that includes aggregated aFRR-market participation of five solar plus battery prosumers participating in an energy community (EC), with the aim of reducing total costs of ownership for each individual prosumer is proposed. For its validation, different scenarios have been analyzed. The results show that the proposed EMS allows a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) reduction for all community members with respect to the base-case scenario. Moreover, the most profitable scenario for all prosumers is still the only PV.

Automated summary

Most current prosumer-energy-management strategies aim to maximize economic optimization through self-consumption. However, there is a lack of energy management strategies that address the various interaction possibilities among community-clustered solar plus battery prosumers. This study proposes an optimal energy management strategy that includes participation in ancillary service markets and community-level energy management, with the goal of reducing overall costs for individual prosumers. The results show a reduction in the levelized cost of energy for all community members, with the most profitable scenario still being the use of only solar PV for all prosumers.