Concepts, Demonstration and replication for Local User-friendly Energy Communities
Context
Energy communities are an essential part of the future energy system; they provide cooperation in generation, distribution, storage and supply at the local level with the aim of maximizing the share of renewable energy production and optimized consumption within a community.
The international research project CLUE, led by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, developed know-how on optimized design, planning and operation of energy communities and developed a tool kit for planning and operation as a basis for a successful dissemination of Local User-friendly Energy Communities.
Complexity and Comprehensive Concept
Because many aspects and parameters are involved in creating an energy community, research and development involved:
- Flexibilities and sector coupling
- Services through business model development
- Recommendations to improve the regulatory environment
- Involvement of local actors
- Development of services for suppliers and consumers in a real laboratory concept
Specific CLUE project accomplishments
- knowledge acquisition on the optimized design, planning, and operation of Local Energy Communities (LECs);
- development of a comprehensive toolkit for planning and operation, to replicating and upscaling LECs;
- breakthroughs focusing on technological advancements and centred on flexibilities and sector coupling for LEC energy systems; and
- introduction of innovative services by launching business models and presenting recommendations for an enhanced regulatory framework.
Success thanks to dedicated cooperation
The living-lab concept has been fully realized thanks to robust stakeholder involvement, between developers, service providers, and the integration of consumers, prosumers, and LEC organizers.
CLUE has successfully tested and implemented varied technological and market solutions with the commitment of leading European research institutes, industry specialists, and local partners across five demonstration sites in four countries.
As a result, thorough cross-country analysis has been performed, leading to the development of LEC solutions that are tailored to country-specific and site-specific framework conditions. CLUE has in the process gleaned insights from the challenges and approaches encountered in LECs.
Technical, logistical and holistic developments and innovations
Through the seamless integration of developed tools into the ICT architecture and their interaction with surrounding electricity systems, AIT ensured the holistic proof-of-concept. Simultaneously, we assessed the potential and impacts of different flexibilities across the five demo sites.
Furthermore, CLUE has accomplished its goal of crafting and validating tools that bolster the creation and operation of sustainable local energy systems. AIT bridged the gap where tools were previously lacking, taking into account sector coupling, flexibilities, and cloud functionalities that enhance the web-of-cell approach, all while offering user-friendly operation and information services.
The project has meticulously crafted transition paths tailor-made for select LEC groups, ensuring they are based on comprehensive stakeholder interactions. CLUE held co-creation workshops, where crucial drivers, success factors, and barriers were determined, culminating in the successful development of transition paths that highlight the replicability, scalability, and potential of new business models.
Country specific results
In Austria, the flexibility potential of e-mobility, incorporating contactless automatic charging were seamlessly integrated and verified. This achievement is supported by blockchain technology for clearing, central storage, intelligent energy management systems, and adaptive community tariffs.
Sweden’s demo has verified the vast flexibility potential from power-to-heat, batteries, and e-mobility in a large-scale LEC, ensuring capacity limitations on the transmission side are comprehensively addressed.
In Germany, a LowEx district heating and cooling system in a mixed new-built retrofit district was implemented and tested. This system, which integrates electricity and heating and is managed by a state-of-the-art energy management system, showcases a substantial flexibility potential.
Scotland has witnessed the development of a Vector Integration Platform. It integrates energy vectors from the Levenmouth offshore wind turbine and e-vehicles, all connected via vehicle-2-grid points to a local hydrogen microgrid. We have addressed and resolved communication and resilience challenges in local energy systems, guaranteeing solutions that are scalable and replicable both nationally and regionally.
