Modelling Energy Distribution in Residential Areas: A Case Study Including Energy Storage Systems in Catania, Southern Italy

Alberto Fichera, Alessandro Pluchino and Rosaria Volpe
Additional contact information
Alberto Fichera: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Alessandro Pluchino: Department of Physics and Astronomy “Ettore Majorana”, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Rosaria Volpe: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-21

Abstract: Complexity is a widely acknowledged feature of urban areas. Among the different levels to which this definition applies, the energy sector is one of the most representative of this way of conceiving cities. An evidence of this complexity can be detected in the growing impact of prosumers. Prosumers produce energy to meet their own demands, distribute it directly to neighbors and, eventually, store the energy neither consumed nor distributed. The modelling of distribution networks is a challenging task that requires ad hoc models to simulate the mutual energy exchanges occurring among prosumers. To serve at this scope, this paper proposes an agent-based model aiming at determining which operating conditions enhance the energy distribution among prosumers and diminish the supply from traditional power plants. An application of the model within a residential territory is then presented and simulations are conducted under two scenarios: the first investigating the distribution among prosumers equipped with photovoltaics (PV) systems, the second integrating energy storage systems to PV panels. Both scenarios are studied at varying the installed PV capacity within the territory, the allowed distance of connection among prosumers, as well as the rate of utilization of the links of the network. Results from the simulated case study reveal that the energy distribution among prosumers can be enhanced by providing short-range links for the electricity exchange. Similar advantages can be achieved by integrating storage systems to PV, along with a significant reduction in the electricity requested to the centralized grid.

Keywords: urban energy distribution network; Energy Storage Systems; agent-based model; prosumers; energy exchanges; distribution patterns (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/14/3715/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/14/3715/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:14:p:3715-:d:386732

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().