An Optimization Model for Efficient Energy Exchange in Energy Communities

In recent years, the distribution of local and renewable generation plants has introduced significant challenges in the management of electrical energy. In order to increase the usage of renewable energy, prosumers, i.e., users that can act both as producers and consumers, can benefit from joining together and forming energy communities. This new scenario calls for great research investigations aimed to improve the management of energy exchanges inside energy communities In particular, efficient solutions need to consider the interaction among several energy entities, among which distributed renewable plants, residential loads and energy storage systems. In this paper, an optimazation model for the energy management in energy communities is presented. The novelty consists in modeling the entire energy community as a whole, rather than each prosumer separately, with the goal of optimizing the energy sharing and balance at the community level. Experimental results, performed in an university campus, show the advantages of the approach and its capability of reducing the energy costs and increasing the community's energy autonomy.