A Multistep Optimization Procedure for a Fair Sharing of Profits in Energy Communities
Abstract
The legal concept of energy communities (EC) offers the possibility to produce, store and to sell (renewable) energy via the public grid. In addition to an ecological motivation to increase the use of renewable energy sources, there is also an economic advantage for the participants of these EC through reduced grid costs or other benefits. Participants of such EC can then sell a surplus of Photovoltaic energy to their neighbors and all members of the EC can then economically benefit from this energy exchange. This exchange must be coordinated and defined using business models to be developed. This is typically done through mathematical optimization tasks in order to minimize the costs of all members or to maximize the benefits of the EC. With more complex EC, the question often arises as to how the business model or the distribution of benefits among the members should be implemented. This paper demonstrates a method to share the profits in EC based on a multistep optimization procedure.