Techno-Economic Assessment of Net Metering and Energy Sharing in a Mixed-Use Renewable Energy Community in Montreal: A Simulation-Based Approach Using Tool4Cities

Athena Karami Fardian (), Saeed Ranjbar, Luca Cimmino, Francesca Vecchi, Caroline Hachem-Vermette, Ursula Eicker and Francesco Calise
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Athena Karami Fardian: Department of Buildings, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Saeed Ranjbar: Department of Buildings, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Luca Cimmino: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy
Francesca Vecchi: Department of Architecture, Construction and Design, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Caroline Hachem-Vermette: Department of Buildings, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Ursula Eicker: Department of Buildings, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Francesco Calise: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-33

Abstract: The study presents a scalable decision-support framework to assess energy-sharing strategies within mixed-use urban districts, with a focus on planning, sustainability, and policy relevance. Two renewable energy-sharing mechanisms—energy sharing (ES) and net metering (NM)—are compared through a techno-economic analysis applied to a real neighborhood in Montréal, Canada. The workflow integrates irradiance-aware PV simulation, archetype-based urban building modeling, and financial sensitivity analysis adaptable to local regulatory conditions. Key performance indicators (KPIs)—including Self-Consumption Ratio ( SCR ), Self-Sufficiency Ratio ( SSR ), and peak load reduction—are used to evaluate technical performance. Results show that ES outperforms NM, achieving higher SCR (77% vs. 66%) and SSR (40% vs. 35%), and seasonal analysis reveals that peak shaving reaches 30.3% during summer afternoons, while PV impact is limited to 15.6% in winter mornings and negligible during winter evenings. Although both mechanisms are currently unprofitable under existing Québec tariffs, scenario analysis reveals that a 50% CAPEX subsidy or a 0.12 CAD/kWh feed-in tariff could make the system viable. The novelty of this study lies in the development of a replicable, archetype-driven, and policy-oriented simulation framework that enables the evaluation of renewable energy communities in mixed-use and data-scarce urban environments, contributing new insights into the Canadian energy transition context.

Keywords: renewable energy communities; urban energy simulation; energy-sharing mechanisms; net metering (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: 2025
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