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Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance of an Urban Community Hybrid Distributed Energy System

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Fichera

    (Department of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy)

  • Elisa Marrasso

    (DING, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy)

  • Maurizio Sasso

    (DING, Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy)

  • Rosaria Volpe

    (Department of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy)

Abstract

Energy systems face great challenges from both the supply and demand sides. Strong efforts have been devoted to investigate technological solutions aiming at overcoming the problems of fossil fuel depletion and the environmental issues due to the carbon emissions. Hybrid (activated by both renewables and fossil fuels) distributed energy systems can be considered a very effective and promising technology to replace traditional centralized energy systems. As a most peculiar characteristic, they reduce the use of fossil sources and transmission and distribution losses along the main power grid and contribute to electric peak shaving and partial-loads losses reduction. As a direct consequence, the transition from centralized towards hybrid decentralized energy systems leads to a new role for citizens, shifting from a passive energy consumer to active prosumers able to produce energy and distribute energy. Such a complex system needs to be carefully modelled to account for the energy interactions with prosumers, local microgrids and main grids. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate the performance of a hybrid distributed energy system serving an urban community and modelled within the framework of agent-based theory. The model is of general validity and estimates ( i ) the layout of the links along which electricity is distributed among agents in the local microgrid, ( ii ) electricity exchanged among agents and ( iii ) electricity exported to the main power grid or imported from it. A scenario analysis has been conducted at varying the distance of connection among prosumers, the installed capacity in the area and the usage of links. The distributed energy system has been compared to a centralized energy system in which the electricity requests of the urban community are satisfied by taking electricity from the main grid. The comparison analysis is carried out from an energy, environmental and economic point of view by evaluating the primary energy saving, avoided carbon dioxide emissions and the simple payback period indices.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Fichera & Elisa Marrasso & Maurizio Sasso & Rosaria Volpe, 2020. "Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance of an Urban Community Hybrid Distributed Energy System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:10:p:2545-:d:359345
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Fichera & Alessandro Pluchino & Rosaria Volpe, 2020. "Modelling Energy Distribution in Residential Areas: A Case Study Including Energy Storage Systems in Catania, Southern Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Yuriy Bilan & Marcin Rabe & Katarzyna Widera, 2022. "Distributed Energy Resources: Operational Benefits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-7, November.
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    4. Duberney Murillo-Yarce & Sebastián Riffo & Carlos Restrepo & Catalina González-Castaño & Alejandro Garcés, 2022. "Model Predictive Control for Stabilization of DC Microgrids in Island Mode Operation," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(18), pages 1-21, September.
    5. Volpato, Gabriele & Carraro, Gianluca & Cont, Marco & Danieli, Piero & Rech, Sergio & Lazzaretto, Andrea, 2022. "General guidelines for the optimal economic aggregation of prosumers in energy communities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    6. Francesca Ceglia & Elisa Marrasso & Samiran Samanta & Maurizio Sasso, 2022. "Addressing Energy Poverty in the Energy Community: Assessment of Energy, Environmental, Economic, and Social Benefits for an Italian Residential Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Luis O. Polanco Vásquez & Víctor M. Ramírez & Diego Langarica Córdova & Juana López Redondo & José Domingo Álvarez & José Luis Torres-Moreno, 2021. "Optimal Management of a Microgrid with Radiation and Wind-Speed Forecasting: A Case Study Applied to a Bioclimatic Building," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, April.
    8. Alessandro Franco & Giacomo Cillari, 2021. "Energy Sustainability of Food Stores and Supermarkets through the Installation of PV Integrated Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    9. Vincenzo Muteri & Francesco Guarino & Sonia Longo & Letizia Bua & Maurizio Cellura & Daniele Testa & Marco Bonzi, 2022. "An Innovative Photovoltaic Luminescent Solar Concentrator Window: Energy and Environmental Aspects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-31, April.
    10. Mudhafar Al-Saadi & Maher Al-Greer & Michael Short, 2021. "Strategies for Controlling Microgrid Networks with Energy Storage Systems: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-45, November.
    11. Sandipan Patra & Sreedhar Madichetty & Malabika Basu, 2021. "Development of a Smart Energy Community by Coupling Neighbouring Community Microgrids for Enhanced Power Sharing Using Customised Droop Control," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, August.
    12. Roberta Roberto & Gabriella Ferruzzi & Viviana Negro & Michel Noussan, 2023. "Mapping of Energy Community Development in Europe: State of the Art and Research Directions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-29, September.
    13. Xu, Bin & Luo, Yuemei & Xu, Renjing & Chen, Jianbao, 2021. "Exploring the driving forces of distributed energy resources in China: Using a semiparametric regression model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
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