Resilient grids through energy communities acting as partners supporting the system
GridCommunity aims to lay the foundation for a sustainable, decentralized, and resilient energy system in which renewable energy communities (RECs) can actively contribute to grid stability. The project promotes the technical, economic, and regulatory integration of RECs into the electricity grid to secure their long-term role as grid-supporting and financially viable actors. While RECs strengthen local renewable energy generation, regulatory, economic, and technological barriers limit their potential grid-supporting operations. GridCommunity addresses these challenges by adapting market incentives, tariff structures, and operating models to enable RECs to provide grid-supporting services while remaining attractive to their members.
Project goals
GridCommunity pursues an interdisciplinary approach that combines regulatory analysis, economic modeling, field trials, and stakeholder collaboration to develop scalable solutions for renewable energy systems. Through innovative approaches and the close involvement of relevant stakeholders, GridCommunity lays the foundation for the widespread adoption of energy communities as key players in a flexible, resilient, and future-proof electricity system.
Role of AIT
Project Management and Coordination: AIT is responsible for the overall coordination of the consortium, quality and risk management, and the organizational and administrative implementation of the project.
Analysis of the framework conditions for grid-friendly energy communities: AIT examines existing conflicts of interest between energy communities and grid operators and analyzes technical, economic, and regulatory requirements for enhancing the grid-friendliness of energy communities.
Development of Organizational Models and Evaluation Methods: AIT develops organizational models for grid-friendly energy communities as well as methods for evaluating their grid-friendliness. This includes defining suitable key performance indicators, analyzing flexibility and storage potential, and examining cost and revenue sharing mechanisms.
Technical and Organizational Interfaces: AIT designs technical and organizational interfaces between energy communities and grid operators. In doing so, requirements for data flows, communication processes, interoperability, and cybersecurity are analyzed, translated into practical solutions, and validated in demonstrators.
Funding
This project is funded under the ‘Energy Research 2024 – 2nd Call for Proposals’ by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the Climate and Energy Fund.
