Local Energy Exchange Considering Heterogeneous Prosumer Preferences

Technological developments in the electricity sector and the shift towards more prosumer-centric market structures enable the emergence of local electricity markets. In this study, the possibility of developing an energy exchange pertaining a network of prosumers belonging to a local community is investigated. In addition, the influence of heterogeneous prosumers' preferences on the feasibility and viability of local market structures is of interest. To this end, a dataset with highly granular measurements of electricity consumption and production of residential end-users is used. Moreover, survey data are used in order to identify behavioral characteristics and preferences regarding electricity and to perform prosumer segmentation. The results of the case study indicate that despite the heterogeneity of preferences, similar participant objectives might emerge, reinforcing the feasibility of local energy exchanges.