Impact of energy communities on the distribution network: An Italian case study

In this paper, a methodology for evaluating the potential impact of Energy Communities (ECs) on medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks is presented. To account for the various configurations and scenarios of ECs, a stochastic approach has been developed; it is based on a Monte Carlo simulation that generates a variety of EC configurations, varying the size and number of new generators, points of common coupling, and primary energy sources in the generation mix (wind, hydro, photovoltaics). The procedure proposed has the aim of evaluating all the possible configurations that could impact the grid's infrastructure. Following the execution of an hourly load flow procedure for the entire year for each configuration, output variables are processed obtaining analytical results to identify trends in losses, line and transformer loading, as well as voltage violations. The proposed methodology was applied to two case studies based on real MV networks. The first is relevant to an urban area with a high energy demand but limited generator capacity, while the latter is related to a mountainous, sparsely populated area with low energy demand and an abundance of renewable energy production. The results show that promoting coupling between loads and generators is a key factor for ensuring grid compliance (i.e. minimizing the grid impact) in the development of ECs