Loading...
2 results
Search Results
- On a new method to design solar photovoltaic systems in renewable energy communities: The case of Culatra Island (Ria Formosa, Portugal)Publication . Ewart, M.; Santos, J.; Pacheco, A.; Monteiro, Jânio; Sequeira, ClaudiaIslands must reach sustainable lifestyles by improving resources management and by getting accustomed to renewable energy sources. Culatra, a small Portuguese island, is actively increasing renewable energy penetration into local processes in order to be the first 100% sustainable Portuguese territory by 2030. Based on the electric consumption of Culatra, the objective of the present study is to project a photovoltaic unit composed of several sub-fields, each with a distinct orientation, in order to increase the self-consumption ratio while at the same time reducing the surplus of energy production, assessed by the self-sufficiency ratio criteria, resulting in a lower levelised cost of energy of the power system. To achieve this, MATLAB's implementation of a genetic algorithm was used to find the optimised set of orientations for a given load profile. The results indicate that it is possible to optimise the photovoltaic plant to reach a more continuous electricity generation through daytime, reducing the storage needs and increasing the value of photovoltaic systems. The method can be extended to other locations or demand curves, assisting on comparing different energy management strategies, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
- Fair shares or smart savings? exploring business models, justice and efficiency trade-offs in Portuguese energy communitiesPublication . Scharnigg, Renée; Monteiro, Jânio; Pacheco, André; Santos, JoniEnergy communities are increasingly playing an important role in citizen engagement during energy transitions. However, the functional benefits for participants are heavily reliant on how energy and profits are shared, which are dictated by regulations. While optimizing trade-offs can prove significant in making energy community projects viable, related techno-regulatory innovations on energy-sharing mechanisms still require in-depth analysis. A key unresolved issue is how to balance justice considerations with model attractiveness by aligning members' perceptions of fair redistribution with optimal energy utilization. This study investigates the interplay between sharing and metering mechanisms and their respective advantages and disadvantages, using the Portuguese case study as an example. Four hypothetical scenarios related to the implementation of European directives into Portuguese national law are analysed to quantify trade-offs between self-consumption, self-sufficiency, and participant equity. The findings demonstrate how different energy-sharing and metering mechanisms can influence resource allocation, benefit distribution, and financial sustainability. Each of these scenarios reveals that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The consumption-proportional sharing maximizes selfconsumption and self-sufficiency indexes at the community level but fails to uphold principles of energy justice, as it disproportionately benefits high-consuming members. In contrast, the fixed coefficients sharing ensures a distribution proportional to each member's monetary investment but leads to lower efficiency. These findings underscore the socio-economic implications of techno-regulatory innovations and the need to reconcile equity and efficiency. The study offers guidance to policymakers in designing fair and effective frameworks, reducing the risk of unintentionally obstructing energy community development due to impaired economic viability.