The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study

Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN), in which households and businesses in a local community share energy resources, are an attractive platform for optimising renewable energy use and reducing dependence on the wider electricity grid. However, the optimal use local power generation and energy...

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Main Authors: Elizabeth Tomc, Anthony M Vassallo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Aalborg University Open Publishing 2016-10-01
Series:International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/sepm/article/view/1559
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author Elizabeth Tomc
Anthony M Vassallo
author_facet Elizabeth Tomc
Anthony M Vassallo
author_sort Elizabeth Tomc
collection DOAJ
description Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN), in which households and businesses in a local community share energy resources, are an attractive platform for optimising renewable energy use and reducing dependence on the wider electricity grid. However, the optimal use local power generation and energy storage is critically dependent on the load characteristics and location of the community. In this work we compare the simulated energy generation, consumption and independence of two model developments in Melbourne and Sydney.  The analysis looked at 6 basic scenarios, from the default grid dependence through to a community approach with both individual and communal PV generation and battery energy storage. The results showed that a combination of household and community owned PV and storage can reduce grid electricity import by up to 93% for Melbourne and 96% for Sydney, but that neither development could independently meet all its power requirements without shortfall. The shortfall arises during the winter months when PV generation is at its lowest, and no practical amount of energy storage can mitigate this.  Interestingly, Melbourne, which is at a higher latitude than Sydney and receives less solar insolation, achieves more months of grid independence than Sydney
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spelling doaj.art-cfc557aadf374d419ed93f62e2261af12024-04-03T04:35:25ZengAalborg University Open PublishingInternational Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management2246-29292016-10-011110.5278/ijsepm.2016.11.3The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case studyElizabeth Tomc0Anthony M Vassallo1University of SydneyUniversity of SydneyCommunity Renewable Energy Networks (CREN), in which households and businesses in a local community share energy resources, are an attractive platform for optimising renewable energy use and reducing dependence on the wider electricity grid. However, the optimal use local power generation and energy storage is critically dependent on the load characteristics and location of the community. In this work we compare the simulated energy generation, consumption and independence of two model developments in Melbourne and Sydney.  The analysis looked at 6 basic scenarios, from the default grid dependence through to a community approach with both individual and communal PV generation and battery energy storage. The results showed that a combination of household and community owned PV and storage can reduce grid electricity import by up to 93% for Melbourne and 96% for Sydney, but that neither development could independently meet all its power requirements without shortfall. The shortfall arises during the winter months when PV generation is at its lowest, and no practical amount of energy storage can mitigate this.  Interestingly, Melbourne, which is at a higher latitude than Sydney and receives less solar insolation, achieves more months of grid independence than Sydneyhttps://journals.aau.dk/index.php/sepm/article/view/1559community energycommunity renewable energycommunity energy storagerenewable energy network
spellingShingle Elizabeth Tomc
Anthony M Vassallo
The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management
community energy
community renewable energy
community energy storage
renewable energy network
title The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
title_full The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
title_fullStr The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
title_full_unstemmed The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
title_short The effect of individual and communal electricity generation, consumption and storage on urban Community Renewable Energy Networks (CREN): an Australian case study
title_sort effect of individual and communal electricity generation consumption and storage on urban community renewable energy networks cren an australian case study
topic community energy
community renewable energy
community energy storage
renewable energy network
url https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/sepm/article/view/1559
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